Guest Post by Rev. John Cromartie
As I have reached my 80th year and have time in retirement and pandemic isolation for reflection on life and purpose, gratitude continues to emerge as an ever-present companion.
However, I quickly say to myself, “you seem so upset with the problems of our world- the lack of honesty about our failures in acknowledging and dealing with our racial history, the fractured nature of human relationships in and out of the church, the abuse of the gift and responsibility of language (speaking only words of grace to others), the harm to God’s creation that is being manifested with the devastating effects of climate change.”
Yes, in all honesty, I am deeply troubled by the state of things in this world. So, is there room for gratitude in the midst of all these tensions? My answer is that there is room for gratitude if I make room for it.
For me, it first requires that I acknowledge, hold, and respond to these tensions with kindness, wisdom, and grace. And then center my focus on that which gives life and meaning.
I look around at the people who have been with me on this journey, and I overflow with gratefulness to them. I reflect upon the blessings of God that have filled my life, and I am grateful. And even here in my 80th year, I realize that God is not through with me just yet. Every day I am summoned to strive to be what I know I am called to be: to speak words of grace even in a divided and often bitter world; to keep alive the hope of the realization of Beloved Community; to work for and seek justice in the small ways that open to me; to interact with others as creations of God, made in the image of God; and to embrace without ceasing the joy of life in Christ which is grounded in hope and gratitude.
Rev. John Cromartie
Retired United Methodist Pastor