Last January when the monotonous pandemic routine ate at me and I hit a wall, I reread Acedia & Me by Kathleen Norris. She wrote, “If we are made in God’s image, perhaps we are also words of God in this sense, and our life’s pilgrimage is to determine what our particular word is and how we are to bring it to fruition.” The first word that came to me was “delight.” Delight is both love and joy, with a hint of playfulness. It infuses the words heard at Jesus’ baptism, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased” (Mk 1:11). God said this before Jesus did anything! Recalling that God loves us for who we are and not what we have done, even as God blesses us for what has yet to unfold, is crucial because the fear that I’m not enough, that I’m not doing enough, leads me to feel and behave in ways that knock me off kilter spiritually, emotionally and physically. Regularly cultivating this sense of “delight” through Sabbath, taking photos on long walks, cooking, and nerding out renews my bandwidth on an ongoing basis.  

Reflection: What is your word, and how can it help renew you?

Rev. Peggy Lo

The Rev. Peggy Lo is the rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Austin, TX. She is on a quest for the perfect scallion pancake recipe.