Spirit of Life and Love,
TImes are tough and trepidation swirls in our hearts.
Groceries are expensive and our paychecks don’t go as far as they used to.
Incendiary words drip off the lips of our politicians and sow division in our nation.
People we loved are lost to hateful rhetoric and dubious conspiracy theories.
And still there is hope.
Through the generations, our democracy has been threatened, questioned, and buffeted.
Our government has not always lived up to its ideal of freedom for all.
We are grateful for all those organizers, journalists, freedom fighters, clergy,
and regular people who knew that the people of our nation
are called to do better and be better.
Those like Grace Lee Boggs, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ida B. Wells,
Dolores Huerta, Harriet Tubman, Viola Liuzzo,
and so many others who knew that freedom isn’t free,
who saw the deep and intricate connections of the human web,
who cared enough to show up and keep showing up,
who loved the people of this nation enough to keep fighting for who we could be.
They gave us hope.
They gave us hope that even though our democracy isn’t perfect,
striving toward excellence in the way we care for the people of this nation,
serve the people of this nation,
and govern the people of this nation
is a worthy and noble cause.
Our faith also gives us hope.
A faith that knows that transformation is a holy and sacred task,
that affirms that the democratic process is a faithful act,
that brings a generous heart and a lens of justice and liberation to all that we do,
that values equality and equity and is centered in love.
Our love gives us hope.
A revolutionary love that challenges us to find the worth and dignity in those with whom we disagree,
love that inspires us to amplify the voices that are often silenced,
love that holds us when the work of liberation seems so daunting,
a love so big it bears the heavy weight of complex humans with ease.
Spirit of life,
May love, hope, and wisdom guide us in our lifelong work toward liberation.
May it be so. Amen and blessed be.