June 23, 2024 – B

Just a photograph of an expanse of sunlight,
trees and grass,
waiting for a downpour
or a hurricane (I hear they are coming)
to transform instantly into a lake/river/inland sea,
forcing the animals who live here to find high ground.

Charlotte/Meklenburg County is great for its green spaces,
connecting and running through the city/county.
I've seen small herds of deer,
occasional wild turkey, 
coyotes,
and I will not be surprised to come upon black bear
wandering through,
wondering what all the surrounding development is about
in its natural living space.

We have to make room for one another.
Consciously,
deliberately,
intentionally,
routinely,
regularly,
for the rest of our life together.

Toward that end,
I propose that we all begin each day
with a prayer that will connect us all
as surely as this green space does,
compelling awareness and relization
that translates smoothly,
even easily
into life styles and attitude shits
that are grounded on making welcome
all that is not like us
by focusing us to consider intently
all that is like us
every day for the rest of our life together.

I offer the following as a prototype
of a daily prayer to That Which We All Share In Common:

We come again to share with you 
all that we share together,
recognizing all that connects us
at the heart of life and sentient being
and makes us one in the wonder of all that is.

We pray that the mind we share,
and the intuition that unites us,
the joys and the sorrows,
the agonies and the terrors
that we all know and fear,
will remind us that our differences
are nothing in comparison with our similarities.

May that be and remain for us the foundation
of our cordiality and compassion for one another,
guiding us in our life together as one in spirit and soul,
leading us to hold one another in high regard,
and humble alliance through all the days ahead. 


Amen--may it be so--Amen.