No longer afraid
Going through his five-year-old son’s backpack, a father found a picture of a little boy standing under a rainbow crying. His first thought was, “Oh God, my son is having some serious problems.”
When he asked his son about the picture, the little boy told his father that he had been playing at school, and he saw a rainbow. “Dad,” the little boy said, “the rainbow was so beautiful it made me cry.”
The child is awestruck, arrested by beauty.
Why? Because he has no restrictor plate in his soul.
Because he is awake.
Awake to Joy, and to tears.
Awake to gladness, and to sorrow.
This story came to mind after of some very recent conversations with Sabbath Moment readers. All still fresh. One asks, “I’m tired and a wee bit overwhelmed. Any suggestions?”
Another, “I cry a lot now. Is that a bad thing?”
And another, “I look forward to that moment when I will wake up, and I’m no longer afraid. Have you had that morning yet?”
For starters, I can relate to all of them. As to suggestions, let’s begin here: “It is reset button time.”
So. Let us take this, from Etty Hillesum, to heart. “Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it toward others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.”
Pain is real. And shock is real. And yet. There is something in our DNA that knows we still have the capacity to choose. To be awake. And to “reclaim”.
In a visit to my doctor’s office, I smiled when I saw, “Free Charging Station.” It was for devices, but I thought, it wouldn’t hurt to have one for the human spirit. Because here’s the bottom line: We can embrace the permission to become our own healers—replenishers and restorers.
I’ve always been drawn to the life and writing of Etty Hillesum. At the age of 29, Etty died at Auschwitz, but the last two years of her life led her into a deepening relationship with God. And into great solidarity with those who suffered.
She wrote, “There is a really deep well inside me. And in it dwells God. Sometimes I am there, too… Dear God, these are anxious times… We must help You to help ourselves. And that is all we can manage these days and also all that really matters: that we safeguard that little piece of You, God, in ourselves.” (From, An Interrupted Life: The Diaries)
Which brings us back to our story of the five-year-old boy.
When there is no restrictor plate, we are no longer afraid…
To be there for one another.
To create places to serve and heal and engage.
And to give ourselves the permission to try. And yes, to fail. To fall down. And to get up again.
To live messy. To cry. To embrace. To love. To care.
To say I’m sorry. To say I forgive you.
To be kind. To be gentle with our self.
To be big-hearted. To balter without justification.
I know this feels counterintuitive in a world with unsettling news, with real world danger and suffering. And I understand the temptation to step away, as if I can keep life’s vicissitudes from pummeling me.
Reading the news these past days, I could feel hope drain. And a lot of certainties felt upended.
When life is upside down and pain is real, I can close my eyes and pretend that life is different. And I get the temptation. It’s a self-protective thing. And there’s a blame game to remove myself from any responsibility. Or calling. Or duty.
I can do that, yes, but here’s the deal: when pain is real, and our heart is breaking, it still means that we have a heart.
And from that place, there’s still a hand to hold. There’s a spirit to hug. A wound to heal. A wrong to right. A mouth to feed. A fear to repeal.
I will take Adam Bucko’s encouragement, “It may not be in our power to determine how things will unfold, but it is in our power to decide how we respond. It is in our power to hold on to the practices that nourish us, inform us, and give us courage.”
Let’s just say, I needed this Sabbath Moment more than anyone. The permission and invitation to reset and replenish. To remind myself that I can choose compassion over indifference. Inclusion over heartlessness. Peace over discord. Joy over despondency.
This is Sabbath Moment number 1488. And I will continue to write SM because I want to live with a soft heart; to create a place for sanctuary, empathy, inclusion, compassion and kindness. A space where we are refueled to make a difference.
My friends, be kind to your tender hearts this week. I’m going to let mine have a good cry. And then we get back to work, for a more just, and generous world.
Oh yes, and let us not forget Mr. Rogers’ reminding us, “Look for the helpers.”
I am enthusiastically following the Buddhist Monks in their Walk for Peace. Yesterday, they were in Columbia, South Carolina (Day 77) where thousands of people walked with them, and joined us at the peace gathering in the city. “The streets filled with hearts united for peace. The State House grounds overflowed with people who believe in compassion, mindfulness, and unity. The energy was overwhelming, beautiful, and deeply moving.” Below, our prayer is from these Monks.
I take heart in Dan Rather’s Sunday column, “Reason to Smile.” He wrote, “This week, it is especially hard to find any reason to smile. So, we have decided to pay homage to a song of healing and redemption: ‘Amazing Grace.’”
Enjoy Judy Collins singing Amazing Grace.
And there’s still time to join me at my first 2026 event in Northern California. A retreat you don’t want to miss. And if you’re not in the neighborhood, let a friend know about it. January 23 – 25 at Mercy Center in Auburn, California. I’ll see some of you there.
Thank you for your patience as technology issues still plague us. We moved our website to a new domain, and sadly, it has affected our email. tdh@terryhershey.com is still being adapted and reset, and my deep apologies to all who emailed me and had it returned. For the next wee bit, please email me at tdhersheyster@gmail.com and I will respond.
Quote for our week… “Friends, in so much of the news cycle, I am aware of the somber news that we all carry: of the environment, war, and systemic abuses; of senseless and preventable deaths. In all the governments of your life: the government of your kitchen table, your friendship group, your workplace or place of worship, your city, county, state, or country, may we all amplify and demand language that will serve life, not fail it. Beir bua,” Pádraig Ó Tuama
I am so very grateful that you are a part of Sabbath Moment. And grateful for the support that makes it possible. Please, pass Sabbath Moment on to friends. And invite them to join us.
BULLETIN BOARD
Today’s Photo Credit: “Hi Terry! Here’s a photo from a few days ago that reminded me to embrace the messy (I’d just been complaining about the berries from neighbor’s bush dropping in our yard) with the abundance of life that comes with the messy. Shortly after complaining, we noticed movement in the bush…lots of it! Cedar waxwings were in abundance enjoying the very fruit I’d been complaining about! For 2 days I shot hundreds of images and this is my favorite. Happy New Year. Blessings!”
Madeleine Gallagher (Paso Robles, CA)… Thank you Madeleine… Thank you to all, I love your photos… please, keep sending them… send to tdhersheyster@gmail.com
Yes, your gift makes a difference… Donation = Love…
Help make Sabbath Moment possible. I write SM because I want to live with a soft heart; to create a place for sanctuary, empathy, inclusion, compassion and kindness… a space where we are refueled to make a difference. SM remains free.
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POEMS AND PRAYERS
“But you must not burn out. You and I cannot do the work that’s required of us without attending to our own well-being, too… Time out for your loved ones. Time out for play.
Time out for joy. Time out to dance or sing.
Time out to do absolutely nothing.
These are frightening times.
Your courage and tenacity are desperately needed.
They will be needed for the rest of this year and next,
and the years thereafter.
Which is why you must also take care of yourself, now.”
Robert Reich
“Today is going to be our peaceful day. This is the beginning—a fresh start, a new opportunity to live with awareness and care.
May we be mindful of our breath as it flows in and out, anchoring us to this present moment.
May we be mindful of our daily actions, bringing intention and gentleness to everything we do—the words we speak, the way we listen, the kindness we offer, even in the smallest gestures.
May peace shine brightly in our hearts, and from that inner light, may compassion flow naturally to those who are struggling.
May loving-kindness soften our responses and warm our connections.
May unity remind us that we are all walking this path together, bound by our shared longing for a more peaceful world.
Let us walk together in spirit today—wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
With each mindful breath you take, with each compassionate choice you make, you are helping peace bloom more beautifully in this world.
We are not separate. We are not alone. We are walking together, each of us contributing to the garden of peace that grows when we tend to our own hearts and extend that care outward to everyone around us.
Today is our peaceful day. Let us live it with awareness, with love, with the understanding that every moment we choose peace, we help create more peace in the world.
May you and all beings be well, happy, and at peace.”
Walk for Peace is a long-distance pilgrimage in the United States initiated by Buddhist monks from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, to promote peace, compassion, and nonviolence. The walk began on October 26, 2025, and is planned to span approximately 2,300 miles (3,700 km), concluding in Washington, D.C. in February 2026. The monks have been documenting their travels on social media and are accompanied by a rescue dog named Aloka, who has become a symbolic figure in the journey.
MUSIC FOR THE SOUL
Music for the Soul…
New–
The Face Of Christ — Chris Rice
