Our Burden and Our Greatness

From the Rohrig Tarot, the Two of Swords:

The mountain in the background is like the inverted opposite of the valley in the foreground. But I'm sure somewhere in between there is level land, neither one nor the other. This card encourages me to find the peace of that middle place, where I refuse to choose one side over the other. The hot air balloons in the background represent the thoughts and ideas I release, enabling me to stay in my place of calmness. The valley's river is fed by the melting snows on the mountain; somewhere in that flow that connects them both I will eventually find the answers I seek. But for now, I wait.

From the Master Tarot comes the "Lady of Sin:"

 In each of us such decisions occur, in us, and through us. This is our burden. This is our despair. This is our greatness. ~ Paul Tillich

You can almost hear the whispering going on about this "hussy" by the group at the corner. It is so easy to judge another rather than focus on my own shortcomings. Yet I know deep down that given the right circumstances (including taking away the support of friends and family), I could make the same choices. In his writings, Paul Tillich doesn't refer to "sins" but to "Sin," because he believes its definition is estrangement - from ourselves, others and our Ground of Being. I must take care to remember my connection rather than trying to point out (and judge) the differences of others. If not, then I will be the one separated, not them.