Instead of blaming others about the state of our union, instead of blaming one political party or another, we can reflect on our own complicity and support of systems that abandoned the poor, warehoused our children in failing schools, and failed to provide adequate health care.
I believe that as a spiritual practice we can imagine and create a political system responsive to the people and respectful of global neighbors, a health system that is comprehensive in scope and not profit driven, an educational system shaped by innovation, improvisation, technology, and practicality.
Can we be honest now about what is not working?
Can we re-envision new options?
I believe that we can, if we want to.
+ Dr. Barbara Holmes, 1943-2024, member of the Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, NM
As I reflected on the new year 2025 in preparation for this article and as I have been reflecting and ruminating on things going on in my life and in the world these days, I was drawn to Dr. Barbara Holmes’s spiritual wisdom. Dr. Holmes died last year and lived through much of what we have seen over the years. I came to the conclusion after I posed the question for this article—What will the new year bring?—that perhaps the real question is, What will I bring to the new year? I found Dr. Holmes’s ideas resonating with my own need to actually do something about what concerns me in this world these days rather than wasting my time and energy on the blame game and just plain giving up because so much seems to be so ingrained in our society.
It is good for us to realize that societal change includes our spiritual life, our awareness that many of the challenges in our society today need people with imagination and creativity who have a sense of the common good for everyone, people who operate out of a sense of respect and love of neighbor, that we are created equal and loved by the Creator, and that what we do at the local level can and will affect the many if only we try to share our successes. I especially am touched by the questions at the end of the article quoted above:
Can we be honest now about what is not working? Can we re-envision new options? I too believe that we can, if we want to.
This is what I plan to do as part of my spiritual practice in 2025. As I have mentioned before in this space, my religious community, the Sylvania Franciscans, owns and operates Rosary Care Center, a licensed, long-term-care facility on our beautiful campus here in Sylvania. The facility was opened in 1975 and will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year. We are planning a five-day celebration in April, and we hope to learn just how far the mission of the Sisters has come over these 50 years. One thing I plan to do is visit the current residents and staff frequently to see just how the caregiving is measuring up to the expectations of the residents, staff, and families. The gerontologist in me is aware that caring for our elders in our society is not a perfect system. I will use the knowledge and skills I have to help re-envision new options wherever possible and most especially to celebrate what is working.
Special blessings to all in 2025! May we each do our part to work together to make a better world for all.
Sister Mary Thill is a Sylvania Franciscan Sister. She can be reached at mthill@sistersosf.org.
