Faces on Faith: Gratitude in the midst of loss and destruction
It has not been the start I expected, and certainly not the one I’d hoped for.
Just a few days after arriving in Southwest Florida in mid-September to begin my tenure as the senior minister of the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, Hurricane Ian struck.
As expected in the aftermath of that hurricane, flooded homes, downed power lines and poles, battered trees, roofs and fences were all on full display, impossible to ignore. But there was also, and continues to be, something else on full display and every bit as impossible to ignore. Something perhaps not as expected.
Gratitude.
Over these last few weeks, I have seen, read and heard a constant flow of expressions of gratitude in the midst of so much loss and destruction. Gratitude for what was not lost. Gratitude for those who provided shelter during the storm or have provided it since. Gratitude for the efforts of those who have been working so diligently to clean up, repair and restore basic services.
No, everything is not fine, and there is nothing unfaithful or “unspiritual” about feeling that way or expressing it. In the Bible of the Christian and Jewish spiritual traditions, there are countless examples of those who have no hesitation in expressing to God their frustration, dismay or even anger over their life circumstances. That is spiritually healthy.
But at the same time, I have been both deeply encouraged and inspired by the way so many in my new home area have still chosen to express gratitude in the midst of their struggles. Encouraged and inspired because gratitude is one of the foundations of another vital spiritual and psychological characteristic — hope.
Hope, properly understood from a spiritual perspective, is not “wishful thinking” nor “optimism,” but the unwavering belief that with God and each other a better day is always possible. It is the conviction that God has both given us the capacity to do our part in bringing about that better day, and will help lead us there all along the way. Research has demonstrated that people who more consistently demonstrate gratitude also score higher on assessments of hopefulness.
In my short time here, I have seen so much gratitude in these tragic circumstances. But because of that, I have also seen so much hope.
And I am grateful for that.
Dr. Mark Boyea is the senior minister at the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ.