Stop by my office any morning before ten and you are likely to walk into the “blues”. For reasons that I do not fully understand or even begin to comprehend, I candidly tell anyone who asked that the reason you hear the blues so early is that for me it is a great way to start the day! True the blues are full of pain, traumas, and negatives, but they are also laced with hope, optimism, and compassion. Life as I see it is full of difficulties, challenges, and obstacles. It is far too easy to lose sight of what can be done, love based optimism, and the nurturing relationships that surround us. For me, especially early or late in the day, the blues captures the best of what life can be.
When one reads the news it is often hard to find the positive and optimistic. Whatever the media the overwhelming majority of what confronts the receiver is negative tales of exploitation, dominance, and power abuse. Granted we as a people seem able to be able to paint this tales with extraordinary imagination. Almost daily one finds new colors, textures, and themes coming through from the most unusual angles. Kids now experience the worst of society at tender, life forming ages. Seniors struggle in fear, wondering if anyone will care for them as they have cared. Even those we think of as strong fear for their safety in the very places that they considered as sanctuaries in days gone by.
As I struggle to find myself in the chaos I find that the blues echoes much of my angst. I also find that there is an underlying theme of hope. It is this hope that I miss day to day. Hope founded on something reaching through and beyond the anguish. In the middle of the facts of life comes an echoing theme; “I’m the Root and Branch of David, the Bright Morning Star.” (Revelation 22.16)
My advice is; never deny the pain that exist in and around you. Always focus on the Source of hope.
