There is a saying in Tibetan: “Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.” No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that’s our real disaster. – The Dalai Lama

Natural disasters, diseases, and losses of all kinds bring us to the edge of our understanding. There we face the life forces and sacred mystery just beyond our grasp. We come face-to-face with the unknown. And that can be terrifying! We grieve and we lament: “Why do bad things happen? Why me? Why us? What do I do now?”

All of these are the basic questions of grief. All of these questions, and other questions like it, help us sort through our experiences and figure out how to make meaning out of a bad situation. This process of healing and holding onto hope is long and hard. It can be different for everyone, for no two people grieve alike.

However, we all draft stories to answer our big life questions. We all make sense out of our world with and through story. After all, meaning making- the basic religious impulse- is essentially storytelling. Through a complicated narrative process we come to know and understand our experiences. We learn how and what to communicate with others. In the process of sorting through our grief, asking hard questions, and searching for answers, we write the story of our lives.

When a community experiences a loss together, meaning making involves drafting a shared story. As we heal and move forward from this recent flood in Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas, we will be crafting a story. How will we understand the experience? What will we say and what will that say about us? I don’t know for sure, but I would like to figure it out together.

In times of loss and despair it is good to be together. Together we can sort through the grief in order to sift out nuggets of meaning. Together we can hold onto hope. If you are experiencing deep loss this month (or anytime) and find yourself swimming in grief, please know that we are here for you. Peoples Church is a place to find solid ground, even for just a moment. You don’t have to go through anything alone.

Peace,
Rev. Rebecca Hinds