Great Spirit, sometimes it is all just too much. Our hearts cry out in response to all we see in the news. We feel the loss of so much in our country. We see the impact it has on our world. We feel the pain of the harm that has already been done. Our fear and uncertainty about the future can be crippling.

I confess that I sometimes feel hatred in response to those who are causing so much pain.

How do we find a path forward through this fear, anger, and hate?

When we feel hate, help us to search for hope.

Help us to remember to breathe, to engage in self-care, and to lean on one another.

May we remember that it is OK to not be OK. Help us to ask for help if we need it.

Even in this season of despair, we see the buds on the trees and feel the sun on our skin that signifies the promise of spring.

So, in the words of May Erlywine, may we:

Shine on, shine on
There’ll be time enough for darkness
when everything’s gone
Shine on, shine on
There is work to be done
in the dark before dawn.
So you gotta shine on.

Amen

—Steve T.
(he/him)