Author: Kristine Binder

I went for a run last weekend. I needed to get out and head to the trail I like to call home. I ran from my house instead of driving to the trailhead. I needed time alone to focus and get my head together. I needed to find my running mojo that, it seems, has taken an extended vacation.

Along the way I didn’t find my mojo but I did find a few things. I found 3 deer lying in the woods watching me huff and puff my way through the miles. I found 3 friends that helped me throw a little water on a wicked witch named Wanda melting her down to a manageable size. I found my heart and lungs as they pumped as hard as my legs. I found my feet as they pounded the pavement. I found a little of me that I had lost over the past few months.

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Did you ever break something and then try to put it back together again? It is never really the same, is it? When I was a kid and broke something I always wanted to put it back together well enough so no one would notice. I never wanted people to know I had done something wrong or made a mess. I didn’t want to get in trouble.

But what happens when the thing that gets broken is us? What happens when we need to put ourselves back together so no one will notice? Will people notice the cracks and imperfections? Will people notice the messy parts that don’t fit together quite like before?

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I don’t get it.  Perhaps I am simple minded. Perhaps I am believe in the goodness of others. Perhaps I am just naive.

I am filled with faith. I love my faith and live my faith to the best of my ability. My faith teaches me not to judge others. That is God’s job. My faith teaches me to accept others. My faith teaches my to care for others. My faith teaches me to love others.

What I fail to understand is the hypocrisy of others. If faith teaches us to be kind, caring, understanding and accepting…then isn’t our job to exemplify those behaviors? Is it not our job to lead the way?

I do not believe the same things as others, however I do not judge others for the choices they make. Nor do I feel it is my place to force others to follow my beliefs. I feel that it is my job to exemplify Gospel values leaving others to make independent choices. It is not my place to pass judgement.

What would happen if we looked for the good in others not the bad? What would happen if we looked for the similarities and not differences? What would happen if we spent more time looking inward rather than outward? What would happen if each of us would live with more compassion and less judgement?

As reported by The Wall Street Journal within minutes of the announcement:

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first Jesuit and first non European to be named Pope. His reputation is for humility and simplicity. He is said to be a tireless advocate of the poor and less fortunate. A week ago, as Cardinal, he lived in humble quarters, often cooked for himself, and refused the limousine for taxis and public transportation. He refused the papal limousine return him to the common quarters and chose to ride a shuttle with the cardinals following his election to Pope.

Jesuits are order of priests known around the world as educators, spiritual directors, and social justice advocates. Pope Francis is a dedicated Jesuit and like Ignatius, he has a reputation for using his mind to solve a problem but his heart to make a decision. Like Francis of Assisi, he operates within the world of an ordained clergy while not being drowned in self-serving clerical rank and privilege. He has been known to have a special place in his heart and his ministry for the poor, for the disenfranchised, for those living on the fringes and facing injustice.

He has chosen the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi.  The name symbolizes poverty, humility, simplicity and rebuilding the Catholic Church. The new pope seems to be sending a signal that this will not be business as usual.

Where leadership is powerfully influenced through emulation, what a remarkable role model Pope Francis makes not only for the Church leadership but for all Catholics. What a strong and unique choice our Cardinals have made to lead our Church. What a departure from the norm.

As the Church enters a new era of leadership, let us be open to change and let us think of the choices we make in our own lives.  When given a choice do we stay the course? Do we follow our hearts or heads? Do we have the strength and courage of our convictions? Are we a living witness to our faith each and every day?

The written word is so very powerful. Words in general are very powerful….spoken or written. We can build up or break down with just a few simple words.
Today is one of my favorite days of the year as a teacher. Yes, sure I love the first day and last days of school but this day is special. It is Incredible Kid Day. It is a day set aside to let the kids in your life know how special they are to you. There are no gifts….just the gift of the written word. I ask parents to write each student a letter. Some letters are very short…one or 2 sentences. Some are long…several pages. Some are typed. Some are handwritten. Each letter is as unique as the author. The students are unaware that the parents have written the letters until the day they receive them. It is a beautiful thing to watch the students open the letters and read the words written by the most important people in their lives.
I teach students that are just entering the tween/teen years. It is the beginning of a difficult and exciting time of growth for both parents and children. This letter allows parents to say things to their child that they often do not express. It is a tangible reminder of how much the children are loved and appreciated.
I take time each year to write letters to my own children. This is no easy task. My kids are so deserving that I want to give them the best letter possible. Carving out the time to produce the perfect letter is difficult but not impossible.
So, take time from your day to not just tell the young people in your life that they are special. Put your pen to paper or your fingers to the keyboard and write a letter. The emotions and thoughts you share are priceless.
  Peace.