Text Box: “Nurturing Hope” -continued from page 21 that, “I sleep when I am tired, and I eat when I am hungry” and he gained enlightenment. Chinese philosopher Mencius illustrated the meaning of goodness. If a baby is drowning, our first reaction would be to save the baby. That would be the truth in that situation. However, if we think of the rewards we may get, or the rebuke if we do nothing, then we have corrupted our humanity. The goodness aspect is the purity of our heart, or the purity of our intentions and attitudes. Similarly, kyudo is a spiritual discipline to keep our inner selves true as we shoot. After three years of practising and shooting about 15,000 shots, the breathing became deep and calm. Once in a while, I felt as though the movements were completely in sync with my breathing and the breathing itself felt as though I was being breathed. In such moments, I was in what psychologist call “being in flow,” or that I have found the quiet centre. I feel that way sometimes during heartfelt prayers, or very quiet walks in the woods, or the calmness of deep meditations. When I shot in such a state of being, strangely, the bow seemed to bend more willingly. The shots came off as a surprise and the arrow found its way to the bull’s eye. I wondered afterwards, did I do that? So I learned that we hit the target not so much with our techniques, but through a sense of deep inner calmness, and the clarity of mind. The essence of what I learned was witnessed when I was a theology student. I spent four months of my training at the Queen Elizabeth long term care hospital. There, I was visiting a friend one Sunday morning before our worship service at the hospital. There was a man about 70 to 80 years old from India who was in the same room. He could not speak and his mouth was permanently open. That day, his grown son and teenage grandson were visiting him. This old man Text Box: had not been shaved for a few days and he looked quite scruffy, so his son began to shave him. In fact, it was more than shaving, the son was showing gratitude, respect and love to his father through the act of shaving as he made each movement. His movements were so caring and tender that it was beautiful, and I was deeply moved. So I came back with an immense amount of gratitude for the experience that I had, for the ways that I have grown, and the people who have helped me fulfill my hope and deepest longings. The experience has nutured my hope and helped me to live out my hope in a land far away. There are many who have hopes to be the persons God has created them to be and live the life that God has called them to live, but can’t. So, we need to not only nurture our hope but nurture those whose hearts are longing: and those who are living a life of quiet desperation. In a world that is crying out for hope, we can no more deny their longings than a mother deny food for her baby. We must respond with our baptismal call and do as Christ said, “Not my will , but thine will be done.” And when we love, we are the ones who are ultimately loved, when we teach we are the ones who are taught, and when we empower the weak, we are the ones who are empowered, and when we give hope, we are the ones who live in hope. We do this not through our own strength, nor our techniques, or energy but through the love of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the grace of Jesus Christ. Through our yielding and trusting in God, we are able. In the process we become vehicles through which God’s will is done. Thanks be to God.