{"id":1658,"date":"2023-03-08T16:07:51","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T21:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redchairblogs.wpengine.com\/holymoly\/?p=1658"},"modified":"2023-03-08T16:07:51","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T21:07:51","slug":"both-things-are-true","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/2023\/03\/08\/both-things-are-true\/","title":{"rendered":"Both Things Are True"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring has sprung early this year in Virginia.\u00a0 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\u2014even where there is despair.\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

The early spring causes joy.\u00a0 The early spring reminds me of where I despair.\u00a0 Both things are true.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To hold conflicting emotions in balance is something we do often in our lives, in ways big and small.\u00a0 A bad day often has bright moments, elevating us, if even for a moment.\u00a0 A good day is rarely flawless\u2014is perfection ever an expectation?\u00a0 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spring Break is upon us.\u00a0 Mid-Term.\u00a0 Our semester gives us an intentional pause.\u00a0 Maybe this pause can offer a moment to check in on your perspective.\u00a0 Most often, we know what we need in order to achieve some balance.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 So is an outward focus instead of an inward one.\u00a0 Other resets of practicing gratitude, time with family, with friends, my dog, prayer, all these things can help me to restore a right order.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spring has sprung as we close out the second week of Lent.\u00a0 As one whose religious tradition emerges from the paradox of the cross\u2014the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus\u2014I 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.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring has sprung early this year in Virginia.\u00a0 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 …<\/p>\n

Both Things Are True<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nina"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1QIf6-qK","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1658"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1658\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.lynchburg.edu\/holymoly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}