Dear friends,

Though we are in the midst of the 19 Day Challenge, which is primarily focused on personal spiritual growth, we all recognize that the whole world is also facing a daunting pandemic. I am the editor of Sifter of Dust, but I am also a physician at a major academic medical center and my own life is consumed with preparation for what is almost assuredly  a difficult period ahead.

In that context, I thought it appropriate to deviate a bit from our planned posts for the remainder of the Challenge and post quotes and other passages that are reflective of the specific needs of this time.  The 19 Day Challenge is mostly framed as a personal journey, but we are on a “community’ journey now, so we will start to highlight virtues and ideas that reflect our need for solidarity as we face this global crisis.  If nothing else, this virus is reminding us that we are all one human family and must always “powerfully sustain one another”. 

As previous posts in the Challenge remind us, it is with “fire” that God tests “gold”, and if the “rain does not pour down”, the “soul refreshing springtime will not appear”.  Ultimately, all these tests are going to bring us together as humans, all over the world, and we should use these difficulties to build our unity to a greater degree in our lives and societies. 

                                                                                                                    Kendal Williams MD