“Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand; they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled, and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else’s. And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.”

– Jodi Picoult

A friend reached out to me today, discouraged that his online community wasn’t growing.

“I’ve tried,” he said, “but to no avail.”

I watched as disappointment clung to his every word, like a shadow unyielding to the light.

Defeat has a palpable tenderness about it; one that forces our awareness through the drawing down of defenses. We feel weakened and vulnerable, as our heart is fully exposed.

“Have faith, my dear,” as I reached for his hand “remember, community isn’t built upon the frame of a house, rather more so upon the foundation of love.”

My dears, we often despair over what we feel we may have missed – our faith wearing thinly with each new ‘stone’ that is cast. But even the heaviest burden of soul, can become our most profound spiritual release.

“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible be found in us.” – Pema Chödrön

It is within these ashes, that the irons of resilience are forged.

My dears, community is so much more than a simple gathering place ~ it is the space where Hope’s breath is formed. It is an overflowing reservoir of love, determination, and kindness.

We need community, my dears ~ but for more than just our social status. We need it to engage Compassion’s voice in this world.