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Spirit Matters: When conflict disrupts, may we soften into peace · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Spirit matters. When conflict disrupts, may we soften into peace. Written by
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  Gerilyn Zavada Novak and Spirit Matters. This article is being read by
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  an automated voice, brought to you by Everlett. I write this reflection
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  on the twenty-fifth anniversary of The September eleventh terrorist attacks on the
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  United States of America. On that day, I had just finished my
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  first summer working in the office at Easter Seal's Timber Point Outdoor
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  Center in Hudson. The summer staff had returned to school, and our
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  year round staff had welcomed the breathing space September gently offered. That
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  summer changed my life in many ways. It asked to meet everything
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  I had to give and more. And that dynamic continued through my
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  entire tenure there. The events of what day and the reality of
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  being attacked on our own soil changed me in an elemental way,
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  and, dare I say, everyone old enough to witness that day. And
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  not just Americans. Those attacks cut to the very heart of what
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  it means to be human. People around our global village witnessed and
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  grieved in shock and disbelief as The watched America burn from afar,
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  as the result of pure hatred and its accompanying destruction. Their grief
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  propelled them to offer their moral and spiritual support, as well as
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  whatever practical support they could. Against this backdrop, and as my time
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  at Teapak unfolded, I printed the Beatitudes that Jesus taught in the
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  Sermons on the Mount, Matthew five three twelve, and taped them to
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  the wall directly in my usual line of vision. I wanted to
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  be reminded of what it means to live a life with Christian
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  values as taught by Jesus Himself. In a world that was becoming
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  so violent and uncertain, I needed to be reminded of these practicalities
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  on a daily basis. Blessed
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  are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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  Blessed
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  are they who mourn, for the will be comforted. Blessed
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  are they meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they
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  who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed
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  are they merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the
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  clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers,
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  for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who
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  are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom
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  of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
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  and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
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  Rejoice and be glad, for our reward will be great in heaven.
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  Thus the persecuted the prophets who were before you. These eight blessings
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  encapsulate Jesus teachings. He in no way, shape, or form condoned violence.
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  Not in thought, not in world:
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  and not in deed. There is no room in the living out
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  of our Christian lives for any violence whatsoever. As we navigate a
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  post-9-11 world with all of its complexities, and especially in these ultra-tenuous
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  and weary times, let us return each day to Jesus words to
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  heal and transform us and our troubled world. Let us practice in
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  real time living the gospel, as Jesus taught us in his Sermon
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  on the Mount, and particularly in these Beatitudes. Finally, here is a
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  short prayer I offer for a soften kinder world. May we soften
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  into peace. When our thoughts, words, and actions erupt, may we soften
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  into peace. When tension, anger, and violence disrupt, may we soften into
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  peace. When judgment, misunderstanding, and conflict disrupt, may we soften into peace.
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  When lies, half truths, and misinformation disrupt, may we soften into peace.
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  When shame, bitterness, and resentment disrupt, may we soften into peace. When
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  hurt, frustration, and blame disrupt, may we soften into peace. When greed,
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  corruption, and recklessness disrupt, may we soften into peace. When our thoughts,
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  words, and actions are up, may we soften into peace. May it
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  be so. Spirit Matters This is a weekly column by Gerilyn Zavada
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  Novak that examines experiences common to the human spirit. Contact her at
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  jayzblue33 at yahoo.com.