Power of symbols

One of the tragedies of communication in this country is the substitution of the word "literal" for "true," or even for "real." A woman called me on the phone all excited about a speaker and said he "was literally on fire." I was so tempted to ask about 3rd degree burns.
I suffered a symbolic tragedy last week. My beloved KU basketball team lost. Really. They did. The whole country went into shock and the tires went flat on my life for a while. All because a group of tall young men couldn't put a ball through a hoop one more time.
How did they do this to me? Sacred space (96 X 48 lovely hardwood), sacred time (exactly 40 minutes of playing time), high priests wearing striped shirts, commandments (no fouling!) congregation forming one body (all wearing the same color). As a priest I recognize great liturgy when I see it.
So, boys and girls, here's what we learn from this. Symbols are not only real, they are more real than real real. So if you would like to change anything about your life, the first place to look for leverage is in your symbol world. Changing the way you dress, talk, eat, drive, etc in any small way will bring about changes far more powerful than any kind of grim resolution.
And I'm glad Kentucky lost, too.