On Wednesday morning, my husband Javen hit a pothole while commuting on his bike, went over the handlebars, and broke his arm. We’ve been through urgent care, the emergency room, in-patient proceedings, surgery yesterday, and now await his discharge from Abbott Northwestern hospital. It could have been much worse. We count ourselves fortunate to have the insurance, family, work support, and leave benefits that are making this process go more smoothly. At the same time, it’s startling how quickly an accident can take away physical abilities and rearrange urgent priorities. Youth and good fortune generally keep this reality from the foreground of my thoughts.

This week most of us have also been following the news of war between Hamas and Israel, with all the senseless, chaotic violence it’s having on innocent civilians. Our hearts break at the willful horror of lives lost, homes destroyed, and security shattered, made even more unholy when the violence is justified by religious zeal. I have no policy prescriptions for the Middle East, only a conviction that every person on every side bears the image of God and deserves life, justice, and freedom. But between that conflict, earthquakes in Afghanistan, and the grinding war in Ukraine, it’s been a tragic week for all who recognize the interconnectedness of neighbors near and far.

How should we live, considering such recent, longstanding, and global reminders of human frailty? As we make our way through daily actions and the choices before us, we remember the faithful imperative to love above anything else. The Swiss philosopher Henri-Frédéric Amiel put it this way: “Life is short. We don’t have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.” May the urgent call to love be our guide, and may the God of peace wrap us all in loving care, alongside every neighbor and enemy across the world.