Finding Meaning, Hope and Consolation this Christmas
I am writing to wish you a peaceful and love-filled Christmas and summer break. After the events of the past week in Sydney, many of us will be feeling a mixture of sadness, shock and horror. Not emotions we usually associate with the festive season. Like many, my heart breaks for those affected directly by the Bondi tragedy.
Amidst the diverse reactions and calls for accountability, I feel incredibly grateful for the safety of my own family and that we have never been targeted in such a deplorable way. I feel conscious of my privilege and good fortune.
Viktor Frankl, in Man’s Search for Meaning, describes how in the face of immense suffering at the hands of the Nazis, those who survived Auschwitz did so because they held onto a sense of meaning or purpose. They chose hope rather than despair, and this enabled them to endure seemingly unimaginable pain.
So, at this difficult time, as the year winds up and we turn towards another, I invite you to reconnect with your heart’s desire, your innate purpose and the source of your joy.
And I share this painting with you - it speaks of paradoxes inherent in the forces of the natural world, evoking beauty and fragility. As you contemplate it, I hope it brings you a measure of consolation.
