MacDill hosts spiritual resiliency luncheon

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tori Schultz
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 6th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) chapel hosted a 'finding strength through adversity' Spiritual Resiliency luncheon May 6, 2016, at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.

Spiritual Resiliency is one of the four pillars of Airman Comprehensive Fitness along with mental, physical and social. The luncheon created an opportunity for service members and families to come together in fellowship.

The luncheon included a prayer for the nation, various religious scripture readings, food and a guest speaker, Maj. Gen. Dondi Costin, the Chief of Chaplains Headquarters Air Force.

"This is the second year we have offered this special event as a substitute for the traditional National Prayer Breakfast," explained Lt. Col. Andrew McIntosh, the 6th AMW head chaplain. "We made this switch because we wanted to reach a broader audience."

The National Prayer Breakfast began as a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners. Currently, the National Prayer Breakfast is hosted by members of the United States Congress and is organized on their behalf by The Fellowship Foundation, a Christian organization.

"I believe our topic of  'finding strength through adversity'  will help each of us reframe the challenges and adversity we all face and see it as an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth," said McIntosh.

During his speech, Costin shared that the whole point of resiliency programs is to build resilience into our lives before difficulty appears.

"The fact is every single human on the face of the earth is either in a storm right now, just coming out of a storm, or about to enter one," explained Costin.

Costin's goal for the luncheon was for everyone to know we are of equal worth.

"Every problem has a solution, regardless of how impossible it seems," said Costin. "Every life can be lived more fully, regardless of what we've done or not done thus far, and exercising their faith in good times and bad will make us stronger than we could ever have imagined."