71 - Holding Fast in The Storm

Brothers and sisters, September of this year does not arrive gently. We meet it aware of the turmoil swirling across the globe: conflict, uncertainty, instability, and a heaviness that seems to settle on entire nations at once. Many look out at the world and feel only dread; many feel small, adrift, or powerless in the face of events too large for any one person to steer.

But Paraclism offers guidance for precisely such times, and we find that guidance most clearly in our Fifth Keystone: Seek and follow your calling in life. When the world shakes, it becomes more - not less - important to know what grounds you, what drives you, and what gives your life meaning.

For it is purpose, not comfort, that carries a person through hardship. It is calling, not convenience, that sustains the soul when the outer world feels hostile or unrecognizable. And it is meaning - not ease - that gives us the endurance to persevere.

We do not pretend the world is gentle right now. Hardship is real. Fear is real. But so is our capacity to rise, to continue, to advance, one step after another, when animated by a calling that resonates deeply within. The Fifth Keystone instructs us not merely to discover our calling, but to follow it, even when the path is steep or winds through dark terrain.

Calling is not a luxury of peaceful times; it is the compass for turbulent ones.

The temptation in times like these is to withdraw, to numb ourselves, to imagine that because we cannot control everything, we should attempt nothing. But the Paraclete challenges this. It reminds us that when the world feels most chaotic, your calling becomes most essential. That is when your purpose steadies the hand, clarifies decisions, and pushes back against despair.

Your calling need not be dramatic. It might be the quiet duty of caring for others. It might be the work of creating beauty, offering knowledge, protecting the vulnerable, or building something that will outlast the crisis. You are never too small to make an impact; you are only too distracted. And distraction is the true thief of purpose.

We are each responsible for tending to the flame of our own calling. When we do, we become sources of clarity and calm not only for ourselves but for those around us. Purpose spreads. Calling radiates. Passion resonates. A person who knows why they rise each morning is a light in any darkness.

So as we enter September, heavy as the world may be, let us recommit to the Fifth Keystone: Seek and follow your calling in life. Let it anchor you. Let it guide you. Let it remind you that you have a role in this world, and the world is better for your faithfulness to it.

Turmoil does not diminish calling.

It reveals it.

And in following it, we rise to meet the call of the Paraclete.