Staying Spiritually Strong in a World on Fire

I’ll be honest: there are days when it feels like the world is on fire, and I’m right in the middle of the blaze. The outrage is everywhere. People are angry, hurt, and divided. And sometimes, I find myself right there with them, feeling that same heat.

It’s a natural reaction, isn’t it? We’re watching cruelty, injustice, and fear takes over, and it’s hard to not get caught up in the emotional whirlwind. But here’s what I’ve learned: staying in that place of outrage for too long is exhausting. It feels ugly. It stresses me out. And honestly, I don’t like the person I am when I let it consume me.

But here’s the tricky part—it’s also part of the process. We can’t just pretend that what’s happening isn’t real, or that it doesn’t affect us. Outrage is a natural response to all the hurt we see. But if we’re not careful, it starts to overpower compassion. And when that happens, we lose ourselves in the noise.

So, what helps me when I find myself sinking into that space? I’ve learned to step back and ask myself a simple question: What would (fill in the name) do? Be it Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Rev. Mariann Budde, Kamala Harris, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, or any one of the thousands of people leading by example.

Those names remind me that compassion and kindness aren’t just ideals—they’re actions we can choose every single day. When I ask myself what they’d do, it helps me ground my response in values I admire, rather than reacting from a place of anger or fear.  Instead of telling people what they should do, they show us.

I get it, the World is Scary!

Living in outrage is draining. It steals our energy, our peace, and even our compassion. So, we don’t have to ignore what’s happening, but we do need to be mindful of how we hold it. Isn’t that exactly what they want? For us to stay stuck in fear and outrage, so we’re too distracted to take meaningful action? The more we live in fear, the more power we give them.

But here’s the thing—we have the power. We can still choose hope. We can still choose action. Even when it feels like the mountain is too big to move, we must remember that each small step makes a difference. It’s easy to feel lost in the vastness of the world’s challenges, and I often find myself wondering if anything I do truly matters. But I remind myself—it does. Each small act, every kind word, every choice we make to show up with integrity, adds up.

It may not seem like much in the moment, but without those small steps, the mountain will never move. And together, our steps create momentum for real change.  We can still rise above the noise, act with compassion, and work toward the world we know is possible.

How are you staying grounded in this chaotic world? And how will you bring hope into it today?

— Colleen