Perhaps our world-wide time of COVID closure has replaced a sense of entitlement with a renewed appreciation and care of one another and of all creation. I would like to share a quote from the famous Russian author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, that deepens this sense of gratitude in my own life.
Love all of creation, the whole, and every grain of sand in it.
Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals,
Love the plants, love everything.
If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things.
Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend better every day.
Have no fear even of human sin. Love people, even in their sin and in
their weakness, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the
highest love on earth.
And you will come at last to receive the whole world with
an all-embracing love.
Dostoevsky would also claim that our gratitude brings about constant tears as we feel the anguish of all who suffer. May our gratitude and our tears lead to a solidarity with all people as our sisters and brothers.
