Dr. Jimmy Walters

Earlier today, I attended a fascinating and uplifting workshop by Dr. Jenny Bloom out of the Office of Appreciative Education. The title of this one-hour webinar was “Chronic Uncertainty: How to Approach the Future when it is Anything but Certain.”

I could write and reflect for hours on all of the inspirational and practical nuggets that Jenny provided, but what struck me most was this referenced quote from author, speaker and trainer, Cy Wakeman:

“What would great look like now?”

At first, I reflected on my answer and it was truly a restorative exercise. I encourage you to do the same to keep your life on purpose.

As my reflection continued, I started to dissect this idea of greatness, and I generated some guidelines for your consideration to secure that our pursuit of great is of and from God.

1. Greater than Yesterday: My greatness is not determined by the greatness (or lack of greatness) in others. This is not a competition- that only adds to the division in our hearts and our communities. My greatness is measured only in my growth from my past.
2. Great for Whom? This was and remains a major issue with the 2016 presidential campaign slogan and the presidency of President Donald Trump, “Make America Great Again.” Great for whom? Because when it was great for one population, it surely wasn’t great for others. If we are going to be great, it must be moving in the direction of greatness for all- and not defined on the terms of the majority and those in power.
3. Great does not mean Perfect: Even the greatest of hitters in baseball did not succeed 6 out of 10 times. Perfection is not the goal because it isn’t possible. Greatness moves us to the best version of ourself today. It may look different tomorrow. We would benefit from asking ourselves each morning, “How can I be great today, not perfect?”
4. Excuses begone: Dr. Wayne Dyer, in his book Excuses Begone: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits, wrote “The power of your beliefs to keep you stuck is enormous. Those deeply ingrained notions act as chains restricting you from experiencing your unique destiny.” Greatness means freeing ourselves from the thoughts and the past that holds you back. Seeking external support might help you move away from stuck and into freedom.
5. Start Small: There is a familiar Medieval worker’s quote or creed that speaks volume: “We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals.” While life might feel insurmountable, take it step by step, day by day, stone by stone.
6. Great According to God: What does scripture tell us about greatness? Well, a lot. Where I find peace and direction, at least these days, rests in the familiar passage from Micah in the Jewish Scriptures: “and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”(6:8)
7. Great Service: A life well-lived is a life of service. Service occurs in the small and large acts, filled with care for another person. These acts of love bring purpose, despite external events.

It has been a year, and we still have two-and-a-half months to go, filled with an expected hostile presidential election, less sunlight, very different holidays and traditions, and rising Covid numbers. And this just brings us through December 31st, with even greater uncertainty with what awaits us around the corner in 2021.

None of this we can truly control outside of how we care for ourselves and others. If we choose greatness, as mapped out above, we will live a life on track, a life in service, and in union with God. Our actions will be considerate of others and for the common and greater good.

Yes, in a horrible time in our history, the invitation to greatness might feel far, far away. The truth is that it much closer than you think, and it can begin right now-just look above and look within!

I looked out my window this morning, and under a late-blooming dogwood tree stood a new St. Francis statue. Like so many other depictions, he was clean-shaven, holding a small dish for the birds to feast, with wild and tame animals resting at his side.

It dawned to me at this moment that today was the feast of one of my favorite saints. Like many other days this year, my sense of the calendar is confused and at times, lost in the imbalance.

As I stared at this generous representation of an almost 800-year old historical and heavenly figure, my thoughts turned not to the familiar but to the uncomfortable. I did not find solace in his legendary tales or in my own uplifting Franciscan spiritual journey. I found conflict and deep yearning.

I looked within and wondered how am I in relationship with God, and with neighbor and stranger alike?

How am I responding to the brokenness, the division, the injustice?

How might God be calling me to be a louder instrument of peace?

Francis, in his life-well-lived was often overwhelmed by the spiritual and physical poverty that filled the streets of Assisi. His conversion to rebuild God’s Church meant a re-imagining of society, honoring simplicity and service with a community of like-minded people. He yearned for the deepest relationship with God- finding the divine in brother sun, sister moon, and the leper along the broken road.

The legacy of Francis occurred with the backdrop of war and injustice. Only because of his deep relationship with God, could he write, “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”

That divine candle that shined within Francis shines within us. It is our birthright. The difference between Francis and so many of us is that he truly believed it.

Most years, the feast day of this great saint is often accompanied by celebrations with a look to the past. This year is different, and so is this reflection as it calls us to action. It is time to shine our light even brighter.

“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way,” Francis tells us. This direction is heard within the division, the suffering, and the confusion that these days present.

It is easy to relate to the man who loved animals, who joyfully danced in the fields, and who sang to the heavens. It is much harder, and might I write, more important and timely, to join his journey toward justice, solidarity, and unconditional love.

As this feast day comes to a close, God-willing tomorrow awaits us. Might these words from our beloved companion ignite your day and your life:

“Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon Thy great strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously.”

Picture it…

Vincent and Chiara, two extraordinary individuals who transformed the world, sit around a small table, sipping Italian coffee and breaking French bread.

Vincent de Paul, a French priest in the 16^th and 17^th centuries, established several communities to serve and love the poor. Chiara Lubich, an author and spiritual leader in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, established a community rooted in unity and love, especially in ecumenical, interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

During this exchange, they listen attentively to one another. They share the same love for Jesus, and an allied commitment to discovering God in neighbor and stranger alike.

Vincent recalls being overcome with emotion as he heard the confession of a dying servant, visiting the imprisoned, and seeing so many children and adults lacking basic needs.

Chiara relates, sharing how she and her companions sought shelter from the bombs of World War II, creating a new way rooted in the love of the God.

They recount the overwhelming amount of poverty, war, destruction, injustice, and  pain that served as the backdrop to their lives. After taking another sip of their coffee, they reflect on those moments where they found their purpose in healing wounds. They recall their companions who united with them to serve and to love.

The conversation continues, shifting to looking at us- the millions who continue as branches of their trees of life.

As kindred members of the Vincentian and Focolare movements serve in the spirit of living the Gospel message, Vincent and Chiara are moved by the willingness of these generations of pilgrims who commit to living this  “divine adventure,” as Chiara called it.

Vincent and Chiara are impressed in how these movements provide an “inventive love,” as Vincent called it, to respond to the needs of the world- many of which are similar to the needs in which Vincent and Chiara responded.

Chiara’s words echo still in the hearts of her followers: “Let our thoughts and the affection of our hearts go beyond the barriers imposed by our human vision of life, and develop the habit of constantly opening ourselves to the reality of being one human family in only one Father: God.”[i]

Vincent’s teachings relate and leads us into action: “Let us love God . . . let us love God, but let it be with the strength of our arms and with the sweat of our brows.”[ii]

As their coffee break comes to a close, they join their earthly companions in feeling the burden of the divide and injustice that continues to plague the world. Their heads drop in sorrow, and they instinctively begin to pray.

Their prayer is for us, their descendants, who are touched by the spirit of service, unity, and divine love that flowed through their words and actions. Their prayer and their legacy points us to a better tomorrow for all.

They eagerly wait with hope for our response.

Join us this Sunday, September 27th, the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul for a special concert titled “One in Hope,” featuring the International Performing Arts Group, Gen Verde. Gen Verde is part of the Focolare movement- learn more here.

Join us this Sunday at 3pm (EST) for this incredible experience, including the world premiere of the song, “Vincent’s Song (You Did It To Me).” Access the concert here.

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[i] Chiara Lubich, Jesus: the Heart of His Message,New City Press, New York, 1985, p 24-25.

[ii] CED 11:40, quoted in https://vinformation.org/en/vincentian-spirituality/virtues-and-charism/quotations-2/#_edn84

Tonight, Hall of Famer and New York Mets legend, Tom Seaver, transitioned to the other side at the age of 75.

While never seeing him pitch live, I certainly appreciate his impact on this team and this town.

But for a more seasoned generation, Tom Terrific was their guy. He didn’t only bring legitimacy and a World Championship to a failing franchise, he was the face for millions who pledge loyalty to the orange and blue.

For example, ask any Mets fan what happened on June 15th, 1977, and if they were alive to see it, their face will drop and they will scratch their head. Some may even shed a tear.

You see, that summer day 43 years ago, Seaver was unexpectedly and inexplicably traded to the Cincinnati Reds. There are those who can still feel the pit in their stomach from the grief that was caused that day.

I think of them tonight and I cannot imagine what they are feeling at the loss of a hero. Their hero.

Seaver has been battling dementia in recent years due to lyme disease. In 2013, he threw out the first pitch at the All-Star Game in Citi Field, but since then his presence has been missed. When the Mets celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the first World Championship last summer, Seaver was unable to attend and his absence left a gaping hole, replaced now by a gaping wound.

As I reflected on this loss, I found myself contemplating why we care about someone who doesn’t even know our name. What is it about ourselves that leads us to mourn the loss of a stranger?

I am sure there are better answers, but I came to this simple conclusion: we all have our people.

For sports fans, you have your favorite player. For others, it might be a musician, an actor, a poet.

We are lifted by their excellence, lost in their craft, and inspired by their gifts.

They leave a mark on our soul.

When they leave us, a part of us and our past goes with them. We face our own mortality and we assess our own impact.

It is a tribute to the human spirit, that strangers can mourn over the passing of a distant figure. At a time of great division, there is a strange comfort found in this unity.

Of course, we must ask ourselves why we fail to mourn when other strangers pass. Why do we not shed a tear for those who die, especially for those who die because of an injustice and violence? Why are we not moved into action?

As we live through a time of social and systemic change, and as we approach close to 190,000 Covid-19 related deaths in the United States (6.13 million globally), perhaps our greatest tribute to Tom Terrific is by being a hero for others.

We will never dazzle on the mound at Shea, but we can use our gifts and talents to lift the spirits of others. We can help heal the division, take simple practices like wearing a mask to protect the vulnerable, and we can be extraordinary.

When our clock runs out, may others mourn our loss and the mark we left on them, both stranger and friend.

Last week, I taught my first college course in this new virtual reality.

In any other year, my first class of a new academic year would have occurred in a large classroom with 30 or so intrigued first-year students.

This time, I stood in my kitchen before a laptop, hoping my 3- month old and 4-year old’s nap time would extend long enough so I could review the syllabus.

Combining my students’ hopes of a traditional college experience mixed with my past memories of prior “first days of school” left me feeling three main emotions.

#1: I felt deeply for these students as they logged in from their bedrooms, residence halls, and dining room tables. Some expressed a desire to be on campus and I genuinely understood, as much as I could, the loss they were experiencing in a virtual higher education settings as opposed to what they initially hoped for before the pandemic.

#2: I felt sad in not physically being with them in a shared space, encountering the ritual of in-class introductions and setting before them what the next 15-weeks would bring. While I could see their faces fitting into a cozy 1-inch by 1-inch box, I missed the energy that this first class brings into our lives as we begin this new chapter together.

#3: I felt challenged to provide an academic experience that met their expectations, that would keep them engaged and fulfilled, all while hoping they stay through the storm to see better days when their time on campus would match their hopes and dreams.

This semester, faculty will attempt to create a virtual space that is innovative, clear, and effective to meet the needs of their students. Administrators and staff will work tirelessly to offer a holistic and supportive environment that responds to their needs as well. Students will do their best to learn and grow in a virtual and hybrid reality as we all learn together.

I am fortunate that my students belong to a faith-based scholarship program that I am blessed to manage. In future years, God-willing, I will see them face-to-face. Until then, we will meet from a distance.

I pray they, as well as all students (especially incoming first-year students), find hope in tomorrow while making the most of today. I hope they can overcome the poor wifi signals, distant learning, and social isolation to see a day when they will gather in class with their peers.

There is much to be grateful for, especially the gift of technology to engage these inspirational students in higher education. In the midst of the challenges, I am fortunate to see the opportunities before all of us to make the most of this experience- as best we can.

Still, on this first day of class, I cannot help but feel for this next generation of college students, for what could be- what should be. I know my fellow colleagues join me across this nation in the exhausting effort to create a space that is inclusive, informative, and transformative- despite the many challenges.

I am once again blessed to accompany over two dozen students on their journey into and through higher education- even if it is with the occasional chatter or my daughters and Elmo in the background.