Poetry and Prayer—Day 4: February 29

Written by: Julia Smolucha

I Thank You God… by e.e. cummings

Fly, fast, on infinite wing to draw near to us. Hear our thank you: cardinal perched in snow-winter tree, food warm in bellies, vistas of dream-blue skies. Fly, fast, O God, to be near to us, for we are grateful. Amen.

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The Impossible Possibility for an Impossible Time, III: In Every Glass of Common Water, Hints of Garnet-Gold

January 23, 2022

It seems to Katie and Christine and me that the Christ-like virtues have never been quite as intensely necessary as right now during this impossible time of pandemic and racial discord and political divisiveness. There is a “persistent hum of incivility.” One woman noticed that when people are mean, they’re a heck of a lot meaner. “Instead of saying ‘This really inconvenienced me,’ they say, ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ It’s a different scale of mean. Yes?

The Impossible Possibility for an Impossible Time, II: Free at Last!

January 16, 2022

Authoritarians—and there is a lethal virus of authoritarianism around the world just now, from Eastern Europe and Russia to China and Cambodia—authoritarians want to say exactly the opposite. They want to say, “You are not smart enough to make these epochal decisions for the rest of us. Your voice does not count; your opinion is not worthy. I will make your decisions for you.” Freedom: that’s what Jesus came to bring.

The Impossible Possibility for an Impossible Time, I: Baptism by Fire

January 9, 2022

During the season of Epiphany this year from Christmas to Lent, the Revised Common Lectionary is giving us Gospel stories from the early ministry of Jesus from the visit of the Magi to his Transfiguration on the Holy Mountain, and since in my lengthening lifetime there has never been a time when the Christ-like virtues were more needed, I thought we could see what we could learn from the Lord how to do our own small part to address this “persistent hum of incivility.”

Poetry and Prayer—Day 4: February 29