Come Stand Here

All of you who are frightened and confused,
Come stand here.

Here on the high ground of reason
Here on the rock of faith unshaken
Here where you can see tomorrow.

Without the hype and the spin
Come stand here, for there is room for everyone.
Room for people of every color and culture
Of every memory and story.

Come stand here, in the midst of the madness
Here where others can see us and take hope.
Do not be afraid
But believe in the foundation beneath us:

Justice and mercy, truth and integrity
Common sense and compassion.
We may have moved from them
But they have not moved from us.

Come stand here, in freedom and love
And together we will build the sanctuary
For which so many have longed and so many have prayed.

(A meditation written by Steven Charleston in his book Spirit Wheel: Meditations From An Indigenous Elder, Broadleaf Books, 2023, p. 122)

Thank you, Bishop Charleston!