Shining Spirit

Can there be anything more horrifying that searching for your child in the debris of disaster? Take time today and walk the Texas streets with those parents; be there with them. They need us right now. We are their family, too. Extend your hand and your heart into the hurting. This is who we are.

i’m Life isn’t perfect; don’t expect it to be. That said, try to find something that makes you want to sing today, or dance, or throw a party. The dancing flower people at the Botanic Gardens in San Diego have it right. Find a song and sing it. Find a dance and kick up your heels. Hum a tune. Write a poem. Call up a friend. Here’s an idea: how about remembering something good about the nation. I know. We don’t all agree on what’s happening or not happening in the world. Granted. But isn’t there some way that common gratitude can hold up a light for all of us to follow? Sky rockets and fireworks burst and then fizzle. They are gone in a flash. But gratitude is the perpetual light that shows us the next few steps along the path. For those of us who are pleased with currents events, be grateful. For those of us who are not, be grateful. Eventually we will find common ground on which all of us can walk together. Life isn’t perfect. Don’t expect it to be. And neither are we. But we can choose the common trait of gratitude, undergirded by hope, as the sign of our willingness to envision a future that honors the diversity of our dreams.

On the day before the big show, before the first Skyrocket streaks into the July 4th night, maybe it would be a good idea to remember who we are: “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” One nation, not many defined by cultural or political boundaries. Under God, the Source of our diversity, the Advocate for our commonality. Indivisible: united, bonded, committed to a shared oneness. Liberty and justice: two words that define our community. For all: no interpretation needed.

Say a prayer today that the varied colors and shapes and designs of tomorrow’s fireworks will remind us of the essential meaning of unity in the midst of diversity. It’s the variety of color and the creativity of design that make the fireworks beautiful. So it is with all of us who look up to the heavens in hope. All of us. Amen.