Both Things Are True

Spring has sprung early this year in Virginia. As I walked across campus earlier this week, I noticed the greening of the Dell, buds on every tree, flowers and fat squirrels, a class spilling out of Hopwood into a circle of red chairs, an outrageously loud mockingbird. All these things bring hope and joyful anticipation—even where there is despair. The early spring brings joy, yes, but there is also the awareness of the horrible storms that plague other parts of the country and the certainty of our warming planet, a condition exacerbated by both actions and by inaction.

The early spring causes joy. The early spring reminds me of where I despair. Both things are true.

To hold conflicting emotions in balance is something we do often in our lives, in ways big and small. A bad day often has bright moments, elevating us, if even for a moment. A good day is rarely flawless—is perfection ever an expectation? Our perspective is key to keeping the balance, to making sure that we are not overwhelmed by despair, neither are we consumed by joy that blinds us to reality.

Spring Break is upon us. Mid-Term. Our semester gives us an intentional pause. Maybe this pause can offer a moment to check in on your perspective. Most often, we know what we need in order to achieve some balance. For me, time outside is almost always helpful in restoring my equilibrium or realigning my perspective when my scope becomes too narrow or my vision myopic. So is an outward focus instead of an inward one. Other resets of practicing gratitude, time with family, with friends, my dog, prayer, all these things can help me to restore a right order.

Spring has sprung as we close out the second week of Lent. As one whose religious tradition emerges from the paradox of the cross—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—I welcome this time for perspective as I hold with gratitude both the pain of the crucifixion and the joy of the resurrection. In this place of pain and joy, I find my perspective and a steady center.