“The prairie dogs facing the sun is an image that returns to me from time to time, a reminder to turn towards the sun literally and metaphorically, to look out for “sun” in my day to day living. To look and see that which brings life.

In the midst of the hustle that is this season, I am reminded to see and not simply look. Or perhaps to look again. To slow down to take in the mystery of each day, to be in awe of my own humanity and that of others. To face the sun as the prairie dogs and pause to take in beauty and delight. As spoken in certain places, we often need fresh eyes to see the ordinary in such a way that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.”

Howard Thurman’s encounter with Indian students in 1935 forced him to face a troubling question: What does it mean to represent a faith that has failed to live up to its own ideals? This reflection explores how Thurman’s wrestling with the word missionary reveals the moral weight of language and the responsibility of those who claim to speak for faith.