A Graceful Spirit

Today, I compose this post sore in body but fresh in spirit.  As some of you may know from my Twitter and Facebook activity this past weekend, I competed in the Louisiana Marathon.  Leading up to and following the 26.2 mile race around Baton Rouge, LA, I had the privilege of staying with my older sister and experiencing the wonderful work, social, and exercise communities that she lives and breathes every day.  What a blessing!  Being around such kind and generous people truly gave me an inspired sense of welcome and joy.  By the end of the weekend, I felt as if I had known all of those folks my entire life.  Thank you, Varsity Sports and friends, for allowing me to be a part of your family this weekend!  If I haven't mentioned it enough in my previous posts, being part of a nourishing community is everything.

In light of community, I always think of the passage in the scriptures where Jesus says that "where two or more are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst" (Matthew 18:20).  I believe this to be true in all communities where people gather to share love and joy with one another.  In the race this weekend, I dedicated my efforts to an athlete of mine, Grace Byrne, who is in the hospital with a severe head injury (you can read more about this in the links that follow).  As a result of this, I quickly learned just how good this world of social media and electronic communication can be for all of us.  After posting this story (which Luke Johnson of TheAdvocate.com and Spencer Hutchinson of nola.com did a great job sharing) on Facebook and Twitter, I received so much positive feedback from people all over the nation and in other parts of the world, too.  Grace has family that reach nationally from coast to coast and globally in places like Trinidad and Australia.  I know that those local communities are now united across such vast distances and will continue to pray for Grace and others in need of support. So, if a small gesture like dedicating a race for someone is a means to "gather more people together" then we must believe we are capable creating a global community that shares love and joy with one another.  [I wrote a post back in August called "Eucharistic Reunion" that talks a little bit more on the family networks that we are encouraged to extend out to everyone, so feel free to review that one, too.]

Let us continue to move forward each day knowing that in our gatherings (whether via physical meetings, email groups, Facebook, Twitter, or any other unifying medium) the Spirit of God is ever-present.  As a result of this, I pray that we continually form communities that bring love and joy to everyone.

The Advocate in Baton Rouge   
Times Picayune in New Orleans

May we be ever-faithful, ever-mindful, and ever-joyful.