Ashes to Ashes

Calm and distressed

Torn and most whole

Rose of memory

Rose of forgetfulness

Exhausted and

life-giving

Worried reposeful

--"Ash Wednesday," TS Eliot

Throughout Lent and now Holy Week, we are remembering our children at Sovietsk. The walk through the darkness, the story of one Man's isolation and abandonment, the triumph of new life resonates so deeply with the life of an orphaned child. At the same time, it resonates with all of us.

At the beginning of Lent, we were reminded that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. In the past, I've felt the heaviness of that statement throughout the season, mourning the pain and struggle of human life. My perspective has since changed--I find it comforting. No matter who we are, how seemingly tiny and unimportant or grand and renowned, we are all made of the same stuff. We are all capable of feeling--and causing--extreme joy and profound sorrow. We share these qualities with the children at Sovietsk, but Holy Week reminds us that we also share with those who deny them or betray them. I will never understand why different people are dealt different circumstances, but I am responsible for the hand I am given. Being human requires me to acknowledge my brokenness and yet celebrate my part in bringing joy and life to those around me.

It becomes dangerous when we think of ourselves as too small, as if one tiny person could never make a difference, or too big, as if we are the difference the world needs. The truth is elsewhere: yes, we are tiny, but when we accept ourselves for who we are, and pour ourselves out in humility, wonderful things can happen. If we can help our children understand that they are worth every bit as much as the rest of society, they can understand this human paradox of being both small and infinitely valuable. They can rest in who they are and celebrate the gifts they've been given. It takes all of us patiently reminding them what they are worth, as they have lived and heard lies for so long.

I feel this paradox about these children and all the orphaned, abandoned, neglected, or abused people in our world. It is heart-breaking to see what cruel circumstances can do to someone's soul, but hopeful to see the change that comes when patient, unrelenting Love arrives.