February: On Life

February 24

Today's reflection was inspired by a quote from John Lewis' book Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change.

Humans are a mess, no way around it. We do things that are against our own best interest on a daily basis. We do terrible, terrible things. When you look at individual instances of the horrors committed by humans—destruction on a mass scale of the planet that gives us life, genocide, fathomless greed and lust for power, slavery (the list goes on)—the word divine might be up there among the last you would use to describe us.

But we are also capable of great and wonderful things that bring us closer to the divine--whatever definition of the word you might subscribe to (god, the universe, nature, inner peace and tranquility).

And if you look closely, you'll see that despite all of our shortcomings, if you commit and summon your determination, and join with others, you can make a difference.

• Reflection title: To Err Is Human, To Be Human Is Divine 
• Creative inspiration: John Lewis, Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change
• Reflection Question: In what ways or instances have I felt closest to the divine? In what ways or instances have I felt farthest from it?