b'It was in this crowded, loud and angryWe see a lot ofworld that Jesus delivered his Sermon onunhealthy behaviors the Mount and gave us the Beatitudes.resulting fromThey were an inversion of values, saysdepression, anxiety Brooks. They were beauty in the storm.and addiction.They were powerful enough to inspire aThe pandemic exacerbates these leap of faith. And faith, says Brooks, isconditions. weird. It doesnt make any sense. Faith ishope in something unseen. It takes some-Laura Furst, clinical behavioral thing truly remarkable, truly counterintuitive,psychologist, Healthcare forthe Homeless truly beautiful to inspire a leap of faith. Eventshave got to push somebody so hard that onlyof support that made it exciting and hopeful, he says. faith can explain the inexplicable.But its going to take more than protests to make Brother Bob searches for words to explain his leapsignificant change. We need a national movement to back into his work and ministry and the way he holdseducate others about racism in this country.onto faith in spite of whats happening around him.Marianist Father Gene Contadino, former pastor of He circles back to the word surreal.St. Francis de Sales, a Marianist parish in Cincinnati, I look to Jesus and Marys lives, and I think theyhas known Brother Bob for years. He sees Brother must have felt that everything happening to them wasBobs ministry to the men and women on the streets surreal. They certainly experienced surreal times,as a combination of Gods grace and the mystery he says.that lies at the heart of every calling. He also believes Imagine the agony of Gethsemane, the Crucifixionthat Brother Bob leads with his heart, followed by a and the darkness they experienced. Their lives werehealthy dose of caution for safety, he says. I trust turned upside down, and, yet, look what happenedthat he and his health care professionals on the front next, says Brother Bob. lines of this pandemic are equipped with the grace He points to the beauty of Easter morning. The calm I encourage everyone to takeand intelligence to make wise choices. after the storm. Life after life. Hope is what keeps me this pandemic very seriously I especially urge people toBrother Bob shares that concern for his fellow going, says Brother Bob. And faith keeps that light wear face masks, saysworkers and for the public. I encourage people to within me alive so it doesnt go out. Brother Bob Donovan, SM.take this pandemic very, very seriously, he says.After a while, its easy to start leaving caution behind.But everyone needs to be careful and stick with thepandemic health guidelines for the long haul. I especiallyurge people to use face masks.Most of his health care friends are very tired, hesays. Its difficult because we have to react quicklyand do things we dont normally do, like shutting downwork areas and deep-cleaning everything. I worryabout people burning out.Beauty in the stormAuthor and journalist David Brooks gave a sermon in July at Washington National Cathedral in which he examined the tenor of our times, comparing it tothe life and teachings of Jesus, who he says, enteredJerusalem when everything was fraught, semi-hys-terical and tension-filleda time of power jostlingand elite polarization.For coronavirus information, opportunities and resources, visit marianist.com/coronavirus. marianist.com/donate 7'