we inherit history
history of horror, heartache
the systemic sins
the memories of line after line
of penitent, penitent
our breath, our skin
heavy hearts --
no denial, only Truth
repent, repent
ancestors lament
gaze into flames
smoke, smog, ash:
reality invades
temptations to escape
yet we must
remain, remain
so we say Amen
to mortality, humility
to dust & decay
to being today
the bodies
along lines
of time
smeared
with sorrow,
with truth,
with ash
who now
repent, repent
We pray in the dark during these Advent days while we wait for the coming of the Light, of love enfleshed. The darkness is everywhere and impacts each of us. We encounter pain and violent words, messages and behavior when we pay attention to the news, when we share in our neighbor’s pain, when we tune…
A version of this post was previously posted here. While I was in my early 20s and discerning sisterhood, I felt insecure about my prayer life. I envied people who were able to wake up at the same time every day and pray in the same way. I had some silly impression that that’s what…
“Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” This quote, attributed to author and theologian Ian Maclaren, has been tossed around a lot. I think I first saw it memed on Facebook and most recently I heard it on Krista Tippet’s On Being. It is simple and straightforward and frankly, kind enough,…
In the Northern hemisphere, today is the shortest day of the year, the day when we experience the least sunlight. We’re still in the season of Advent, the season of longing and hope. Even if the preparations and Christmas celebrations of this season have had you feeling busy and stressed, you still have time to…
I am in a dim hospital room, standing at the foot of the bed, a small video camera gripped in my hands. I am trying to hold the camera steady and silence my sobs while I watch one of the most incredible, beautiful scenes I have ever observed: the entrance of a new child into…
The light is dim and the air is frigid. With Advent’s arrival in this part of the world, we continue to feel the days shorten and the darkness increase. Whether the light is dimming or not, though, another type of darkness is also apparent: the darkness of suffering. Far and near, people experience violence, injustice and…
