COMMENTARY: Lasting lessons from 2009 to start us off in 2010

(RNS) Last year was, for me and I suspect for many of you, a year of new beginnings, challenges and expectations. It was also a rich year for spiritual pondering. As we start off 2010, here are some of the most intriguing spiritual thoughts, prayers and insights I discovered (or rediscovered) in 2009. Perhaps there’s […]

(RNS) Last year was, for me and I suspect for many of you, a year of new beginnings, challenges and expectations. It was also a rich year for spiritual pondering.

As we start off 2010, here are some of the most intriguing spiritual thoughts, prayers and insights I discovered (or rediscovered) in 2009. Perhaps there’s something here that will be helpful or enlightening as we begin a new year and a new journey.

“Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.”


— U2’s song, “Stand Up Comedy”

“It’s hypocrisy more than anything in our society that we consider unforgivable.”

— John Portmann, a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia and author of “A History of Sin: Its Evolution to Today and Beyond.”

“Our selves, our destinies, are being created constantly through our thoughts and actions.”

— Barbara Ann Kipfer, in her book, “1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment.”

Bless the hands of the people of the earth,

The hands that plant the seed,

The hands that bind the harvest,

The hands that carry the burden of life.

Soften the hands of the oppressor and

Strengthen the hands of the oppressed.

Bless the hands of the workers,

Bless the hands of those in power above them

That the measure they deal will be tempered

With justice and compassion. Amen.

— The National Farm Worker Ministry’s prayer for Labor Sunday 2009

“I am thankful for my mom and dad. I am thankful I can hear people laughing. I am thankful for friends. I feel thankful for love.”

— My soon-to-be-adopted son, Vasco, 10, in his Thanksgiving Day prayer.

“We have a choice. We can either choose the aggressive and exclusive tendencies that have developed in practically all religious and secular traditions, or we can cultivate those that speak of compassion, empathy, respect and an impartial `concern for everybody.”‘

— Historian Karen Armstrong and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who released the “Charter for Compassion” in November

“If in thirst you drink water from a cup, you see God in it.”

— Sufi poet Rumi

“I pause to be surprised, to let the cares of the day be carried away and to let my soul catch up with my body.”

— Author Terry Hershey in his book, “The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less.”

“If we took a spiritual MRI of the American soul, we’d probably see an incredible yearning for being forgiven and granting forgiveness.”


— Rabbi Irwin Kula

“Why does (God) make us feel the questions if he’s not going to give us the answers?”

— Larry Gopnik (portrayed by Michael Stuhlbarg) in the Coen brothers’ 2009 film, “A Serious Man.”

“Don’t worry about getting the poses exactly right. All you really need to do is lean in the right direction.”

— Shakta Kaur, instructor at Chicago’s Kundalini in the Loop yoga center.

“We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. … Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America. … What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.”

— President Obama, in his inaugural address

“God of new beginnings, we are walking into mystery.

We face the future, not knowing what the days and months will bring us or how we will respond.

Be love in us as we journey.

May we welcome all who come our way.

Deepen our faith to see all life through your eyes.

Fill us with hope and an abiding trust that you dwell in us amidst all our joys and sorrows.


Thank you for the treasure of our faith life.

Thank you for the gift of being able to rise each day with the assurance of your walking through the day with us.

God of our past and future, we praise you.”

— “Prayer for New Beginnings” from the Web site of St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center in Evansville, Ind.

(Cathleen Falsani is the author of “Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace” and the new book, “The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers.”)

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