AWAKENING HOPE

So many voices speaking..

competing to capture our attention..

We seem to endlessly seek a voice

that speaks deeply to our own.

There was a time when the rhythm and breath 

of our life

was united with the life force of all creation..

Farmer and Earth

Plant and Gardener

Sky and Spirit 

Sea and Soul 

There was a time when everything around us..

taught us everything we needed to know.

The tree and the flower

bow gracefully in the wind..

while the horse and hawk ride with it

each teaching the wisdom of living

in balance and harmony 

with all things..

A step into each day.. 

was a step into a vast field 

of unity and interdependence..

Earth and creatures

created by the same Breath of Life

to breathe as one..

the voice of each speaking depth to depth

offering a mystical connection to the Sacred.

And when all breath left the human body,

the body of the earth welcomed her friend

into the heart of their common home..

And there, the stardust in the human soul 

becomes a light beam 

and re-unites with the light of Infinite Love..

The rhythm of the seasons and the universe..

prepared the human spirit for the same journey. 

Wisdom taught our ancestors 

to gratefully receive the gifts of one season..

while attentive hope in the certainty of change

comforted fear and doubt in seasons of darkness.

As awareness of our sacred connection 

to the natural world has weakened, 

so has our ability to hear and sense 

the Spirit of God and the mystery of life

gently whispering and offering,.

a personal presence 

of beauty, love

hope and companionship.

Although created and sustained by this same Spirit,

humans now rarely acknowledge

the symbiotic relationship 

with all that exists..

And like the human experience,

the spirit of a common bond is awakened,

as the voice of suffering permeates the air.

Voice can be seen

Voice can be heard, 

when nothing is being said

Voice can be felt,

when everything is gone.

The voice of the human and natural world

is united once again

in the haunting

whimper, cry and guttural roar

of agony and suffering.

Here we lie stunned.. 

in a field of grief, loss 

and bewilderment..

unwitting recipients of the pain and suffering of 

the earth.

Viruses meant to live deep in the forest..

ravage the unsuspecting human 

grasping for land and earth 

meant for other creatures.

Trees burned alive

unable to run..

The plume of their pain

choking the air we breathe

taking the sky from soul and sight..

driving us from our homes and

the land we love.

Surging water propelled by the sea’s raging fever

drowns us in a sense of despair and hopelessness

as our lives flood.

We sift through the aftermath

while the water recedes..

giving little time before

the next wave arrives.

The voice of our jobs, families, friends..

those in need

those working tirelessly

to protect and care for us,

is ever-present..

the cycle of life and death continues..

whether we’re ready or not.

The trauma has accumulated..

as the rhythm of the expected is shattered.

Our ability to hold and carry..

to comprehend and process..

is overwhelmed..

And we have to let go..

feeling hopeless..

because we’re not quite sure what and how much

we are meant to carry.

Who catches our breath when we lose it?

We are living in moments

that feel like lifetimes.

however..

Wisdom whispers 

and attentiveness teaches..

that the same wind that brings the storm..

also carries it out to sea.

the smoke plume that obscures our vision..

shifts and lifts..

revealing the light that never left us.

The Spirit that created the earth

and every being in it..

is the same Spirit that heals and brings new life

when any life force dims and dies.

The God that created all

from a heart of Love..

holds all that is created 

in One Love..

and when one heart breaks..

the heart of God breaks.

So if you pray

a wordless prayer

in a broken heart

for yourself, for others..

for the earth..

you open yourself 

to an experience 

of a deeper Presence..

you pray inside the heart of God..

and God prays inside you.

God’s dream for peace and love..

for beauty and good things for all..

didn’t die on a cross.

God resurrected the place of beauty,

the place of peace,

the person of Love..

into Spirit that breathes new life

and walks in every moment with every living thing.

You may not believe it..

you may not perceive it..

however, you will experience it..

one day..

and every day…

when help arrives..

when the clouds lift..

when the wind calms..

and when voices reunite..

The ancient story..

we may find hard to believe..

until we feel it rising 

within and around us..

Our breath returns 

bringing new life 

carrying wisdom and understanding,

strength and courage,

patience and healing..

Creature and Creation..

Awakened in hope 

touched by the Love of ever-present Light

And the eternal cycle of dying and rising again.