I am not a church person. I gave ‘er a run in the vacation bible school days of elementary school. And then again in my early 20’s when I went so far as to be a member of the instruction team of Children’s Liturgy of the Word at Sacred Heart. The most recent go at it was when the boys were little and it seemed like an important thing to do. One day, preschool Daniel looked to the crucifix at the front of the church. He asked “Who’s the naked guy?” and I realized I wasn’t quite hitting the mark. So that stopped being a thing. My hope is that though I’ve botched the attempts at formal religion, that I’m still okay-ish under the clause of spirituality.
The cool thing about “spirituality” is that it is a personal fabrication. What it means to me, and what it means to someone else can be completely different, but both okay. My definition includes the idea that there is some greater thing that individuals. Maybe a little Jedi wannabe of me, but I also think that community has an energy that can be felt.
Yesterday was the Never Forgotten Games. There were 5 workouts designed specifically to commemorate folks who’ve recently lost their lives in service to others. Each story of the person from whom the workout was designed was told. Then the bag pipes with Amazing Grace. I cry. Every time. The crowd was directed to be seated, with an exception. Those present who were family to the people for whom the workouts were dedicated were asked to remain standing. All us workout whatevers were right there in the presence of people whose sons/husbands/fathers had paid the ultimate price in the course of their efforts to make the world a better and safer place.
That spiritual sense of community was very present and tangible. Maybe I key into things like this because I run a little hot when it comes to emotions, but it was almost as though you could feel the reverence in the room. As though everyone was in that moment of pause where you realize that what you thought were problems are really small potatoes when it comes such sacrifice.
I won’t try to pretend for a second that I know what it feels like to be those left behind. Or even to know what it’s like for those who make the choice every day to put themselves in harm’s way for the benefit of people they don’t even know. I also won’t pretend that in some way that working out somehow makes any impact. However, I will say that I am very thankful for the opportunity to have joined in spirit with others and had the chance to contemplate and appreciate how much some people do for the greater good.
Bifocals and Barbells 