A Life Well-lived

Dear Friends,

Being back in Richmond, I am reminded of how much I love the capital during this time of the year! There’s something inherently spooky about the “River City.”

Aside from the haunted tours, Edgar Allan poem readings at the church (which was excellent last Friday), and other Halloween festivities, it is the darkness that envelops the city that is the most gripping. The splendor of autumn colors yield only to the gray and black tones of the evening.

Going into my second year of the priesthood, I am constantly reminded of the seasons. Not only nature’s seasons, but also those of our lives. Children being baptized, couples marrying, and loved ones passing away. And each pillar of life is filled with countless experiences between them that range from joy to sadness; courage to shame; hope to fear.

In today’s (Feast of St. James) reading from Psalms the writer pens, “Their delight is in the law of the Lord and they meditate on his law day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither….” (Psalms 1:2-3)

The writer recognizes that in order to live a life ‘well-lived’ is not the absence of darkness, but finding sustenance in God, similar to “trees planted by streams of water.” To be clear, this is no easy feat. Trees in that region must survive droughts, flooding, and desert winds. Likewise, we will have challenges in life that threaten to uproot our very being, yet if we remain steadfast in our faith (which does not exclude doubt) then eventually we will see the beauty of life once again; whether in the sunrise of a crisp, fall day, or perhaps even during the darkness of night penetrated by a glowing moon. A reminder that when all seems dark, it never truly is.

In Christ,

Anthony+