Faith

Luis Urúza, the last miner to be rescued, celebrated with President Sebastián Piñera of Chile
Photo: courtesy of NY Times

Like the rest of the world, I spent the last few days glued to the TV watching with baited breath as each of the 33 miners were pulled to safety. Standing at work last night watching, as the 33rd miner was on his way up to the surface, I could barely contain my excitement.


“I’m going to put the sound on when the last one comes out,” I said to no one in particular.

I had a full bar and one of my patrons made a face.

“Aww really?” he said, clearly appalled by my show of sentimentality.

“Absolutely!” I told him. “It’s a happy ending! We hardly ever see them these days.”

He pondered my words for a moment and slowly nodded his head in resignation. “Yeah,” he finally sighed. “That’s true.”

It is true. Happy endings (and not the kind at the massage parlor) are hard to come by. I, for one, was inspired by the efforts of the World to get these guys out safely and back to their families. But I was also moved by the tenacity of their faith. As my own faith ebbs and flows, I am humbled by the strength of these men and their loved ones who held their faith steady and strong.

Today’s quote sums it up:

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

As for my patron, he led everyone at the bar in singing the Chilean National Anthem.

Go figure.