Do I dare not to live with deep joy and wild hope
when look! the trees even in their nakedness
are clapping their hands,
and the sun through gray snow clouds
radiates praise,
and the frozen ground harbors seeds
for spring’s rebirth,
and Orion faithfully accompanies the lonely traveler
through the night;
when look! the trees even in their nakedness
are clapping their hands,
and the sun through gray snow clouds
radiates praise,
and the frozen ground harbors seeds
for spring’s rebirth,
and Orion faithfully accompanies the lonely traveler
through the night;
the wind, for all its chill, inspires us to sing
a new song of thanksgiving
for every warm cup of hot chocolate
and every moment of walking indoors;
the occasions of parting and coming together,
with all of their joy and pain,
draw us to fuller awareness of community and the need for God With Us;
so in prayer and breath and walking, I strive for joy today:
Hear, O Spirit, this gratitude for warmth
and this praise for nature’s beauty, and
this longing prayer for love to sustain us.
I sometimes sleep outside in the summer, and I often awaken to see Orion at four in the morning. I'm as delighted to see this constellation (and his shiny blue dog, too!) as I am to see an old friend. It is a reminder that someone keeps watch over our lives – when we sleep, when we forget, and even when we hide… Emmanuel.