Reclaiming the Week, One Story at a Time

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 3:15 pm by Joseph Susanka

Reclaiming the Week, One Story at a Time 2017-03-17T15:15:10-06:00 Joseph Susanka

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

If you’re like me, this week has left you desperately searching for a silver lining or two in the midst of all these storm clouds.

It’s not so much that I want (or hope) to find enough light in these recent (even ongoing) events to offset their darkness — though the heroism so often found amidst the shadows is as blessedly present in them as it will ever be. It’s that I want to be reminded that such ugliness and tragedy are (and will always be) part of a much larger picture — a picture across which hopefulness and self-sacrifice are vividly splashed, even if news stories and social networks focus us so myopically on the darker hues.

This Friday, I found a little bit of that picture in Todd Frazier’s home run, in Brother Matthew Desme’s conviction, and in Ole Salomonsen’s amazing Aurora Borealis time-lapse, Polar Spirits. But for some inexplicable reason, the most emotional uplift I’ve received so far comes from the story of Matej Peljhan’s “Le Petit Prince.”

Slovenia photographer Matej Peljhan has a touching series of photographs titled The Little Prince, which stars a 12-year-old boy named Luka. The images show the boy exploring an imaginary world created by laying colored sheets and household objects on the ground. Peljhan created the images to give Luka the feeling of being able to do things he can’t.

You see, Luka suffers from muscular dystrophy, a disease that causes his body to become weaker and weaker over time.

Due to the degenerative disease, Luka is unable to do even the most basic of everyday activities such as washing himself, dressing, and eating. His physical capability is mostly limited to tiny movements of his fingers, which allow him to move about in his electric wheelchair. He is also able to hold a colored pen, with which he can slowly turn his imagination into drawings in a notebook.

During a conversation he had with Luka, Peljhan learned that the boy wished to see himself in photographs walking, exploring, and getting into mischief.

Thanks to Peta Pixel and This Is Colossal for bringing this story to my attention. It’s exactly what I need right now: a reminder that the man being hunted through Boston at this moment is far less representative of humanity than our rapt attention over the past few days would suggest.

Thank God for that.

Quodlibets

Previous Post

April 17, 2013

Milt Kahl's Inimitable Swaggle

Next Post

April 22, 2013 Bizarre Baseball Happenings, As Always

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Baseball Faith Family Lenten Music Movies Music No Commentary Necessary Parked By the Jukebox Photography Politics Quodlibets Streaming Video Suggestions Summa Short Films Television The Man Behind the Booth Through a Lens, Darkly

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz