This is a difficult time this year to feel a great degree of happiness about the world, more particularly, the happenings in it. I know that I am in the minority when I say that smashing Afghanistan villages and cities to smithereens and killing uncounted numbers of civilians with American bombs is just plain as wrong as flying airplanes into American buildings and killing counted numbers of civilians. And, frankly, the more rhetoric that is spouted about fighting evil, the harder I question the definition of evil behind that rhetoric.
We go trudging towards a celebration of Christmas (for the Christian portion of the world), trying to kindle that light of love which Christianity professes but has a difficult time actually living. It does seems like the fundamentalist sides of the three major religions -- Christian, Muslims, Jews -- have little concept of world-encompassing love. How odd, when each has such a deep current of selfless love running through it.
I offer this poem which I wrote five years ago for a prayer during a Christmas church service.
Courage
In remembering of the birth of the beloved child
we find the echo of Mary's courage
young Mary of strong heart
shrinking not from the angel's words of fire and promise
and bearing this child in adversity
when we gather in prayer
we are reminded to pray for the ones who suffer
the terrible acts of this world
we pray for their safety
we pray that somehow the ones who terrorize will cease to do so
(by what miracle, I don't know, but I would ask for one)
we pray for help with our own more humdrum hurts
today I will pray for courage … hope of the heart …
for the ones who are under tyranny and war
the courage to live another hour, another day
for the tyrants and the warriors
the courage to give up power and find peaceful ways of living
for ourselves the courage to find new paths when the old ones seem
to have deepened to spring-time's ruts
for the courage to step out along those new paths
for the courage to listen carefully to others
to give what may be the finest gift, an open ear
to speak clearly and simply, from the heart
to give honesty cushioned in care
for the courage to be quiet and listen for your own heartbeat,
and follow the message that your heartbeat may bring
to the light of the world,
may we give ourselves
and to each other
may we give hope and peace and joy and love
Cherie