“Humankind was my business!”
shouted Jacob’s ghost at Scrooge.
Think about that for a moment.
We busy ourselves with chores and work and entertainment—the “busi-ness” of life—and sometimes we forget what really matters. We get caught up in how we live and lose touch with why we live. We don’t hear that gentle voice in the breeze. We don’t feel that stirring in our souls, calling us to seek something deeper for ourselves. We forget that what really matters is
each other.
This season is a beautiful reminder of what matters most. I recently dreamed that I was wrapping a Christmas gift for my father. I was nearly giddy with joyful anticipation of his opening the gift, then I was jarred awake by the realization that Dad passed away a few years ago. I awoke, missing him so much I felt a physical pain deep inside. The interrupted dream—like Jacob in Scrooge’s dream—reminded me that the most important, most valuable, most meaningful things in my life are the people. It’s
us
.
The
us
is the family of the Christine Center. It’s you and many other spiritual people who come here to seek and to deepen, it’s the Sisters who founded and grew the center, it’s the board that governs the center and shapes its future, and it’s the volunteers and staff—housekeeping, kitchen, maintenance, and administration—who keep the center a living opportunity for seekers of all faiths. And it’s those of you who give so generously, providing the financial support that keeps it all alive.
Yes, it’s the people and the spiritual work that enriches their lives that is our highest calling, our loftiest business, but the more mundane business of running the Christine Center is also vital. Were it not for your past gifts, this sacred space might not exist today. What you have given is far more than money: You have blessed thousands with the gift of a safe, supportive place in which
to deepen their
spiritual lives. We all owe you our gratitude for what you have given and what you will give (
click here
).
May your holiday be filled, in body or in spirit, with the people who mean the most to you.
Wishing you a season of love,
Russell King, executive director
