Renovatio

When you say "life", some will envision a single chain of events - with a single beginning and a conclusive end. They will see an idyllic stream, from point A to B - an unobstructed sequence - constant and unbroken til our singular demise. But such individuals have surely been deceived, for the rest of us are left to endure a more ruthless variation, aware of a far crueler, recurring semblance of death: one that spares the body and ravages the soul. Whether it is with betrayal or heart break, shame or rage, anguish or sorrow, our spirits are stabbed, beaten, and torn: ultimately consumed in unfortunate flame. And for an eternity, it may seem to have disappeared, lost to the cold brutality of the world - and perhaps it has.
But from the gaping void of despair, a soul can be redeemed; from the depths of sorrow, a life can be rebuilt; and from the darkest of ashes, the dead can be reborn - again and again and again.
For life is never one-dimensional. Rarely is it ever a straight and continuous line. It is an ever-shifting direction, a montage of failures and breakdowns, restarts and do-overs, conquests and upsets. It is the steady beat of our heart, the persisting rhythm of our enduring soul as we make our bittersweet journey through birth, death, and rebirth.