21st Sunday after Pentecost: Summing Up the Sense of Providence We Should All Possess
We conclude our mini-series on the "Sense of Providence. It's something we should all possess. Our capable spiritual guide sums up his ideas in a single paragraph. It begins with an idea that all of us should have embedded in our hearts and minds at tall times: "Though I should walk in the valley of darkness, yet will I fear no evil: for Thou art with me." Why should this idea be ever-present? It's not like most of us live in a constant s tate of darkness (by the grace of God). It's simply that life has it's ups and downs, right? And we hope that we get our share of the ups, even while knowing that the next down may be lingering right around the corner. Does this mean we live in a constant state of mild anxiety, wondering "When will the other shoe drop?" It might for some of us. But if it does, that's exactly what why we need this Sense of Providence. We could, of course, take the "positive thinking" route. Those of us who train o...