Growing Toward the Sun

Lately I have observed that some of the peonies in the cemetery are stretching as far as possible to escape the shade of our stately fir trees and reach the sunlight. They don’t care if they grow crooked as a result; their sole objective is to reach the sun.

Likewise, I believe, humans grow toward the light, even when they are planted in a less than desirable location. I’m mindful of an inmate in our Bethany Catholic faith group at Lansing Correctional Facility who endured abuse as a child, committed a serious crime as an adult, and has been incarcerated more than 30 years. The other night, when asked how he experiences the power of God in his life, he replied, “I feel joy every morning that I’ve been given a new day of life, and I feel at peace about whatever the day brings. That’s only possible through the power of God.” I thought to myself that few people in the world have achieved such insight, let alone someone who has been in prison more than half his life. Furthermore, I don’t believe he would have gained this insight without the fidelity of the Bethany volunteers who have accompanied him on his faith journey week after week for more than 20 years.

Generally, it’s not easy to be with people who have been hurt and “grow crooked” as a result. However, if we can hang in there and help them find the light, the transformation they achieve is an awesome source of grace and a reminder that God’s love is always available, even to the crooked—that is, to all of us.