Wednesday, July 29, 2020
A Deck Decked Out with Salvation: A Prayer
O Lord, it’s my salvation,
a deck,
of all things,
because that
is where
you come to me,
talk to me,
and where I
talk to you,
the sun sunning me,
the bluebirds in their bluebird house,
plants planted in painted pots
(51 and counting),
colorful Mexican pots,
flowers flowering all around,
and Mexican wall hangings hanging,
round sun and quarter moon,
women’s faces both,
a hint of a smile on one,
ceramic lizards too,
and butterflies and turtles
and a lonely dragonfly,
and a cross,
of course,
all on the walls,
and a flamingo not quite a flamingo
on the floor,
a flamingo from a flamingo
that had a fling
with a toucan,
a Mexican birdbath on a pedestal
the crowning touch,
everywhere
color
exploding,
oranges and blues and yellows and golds and greens,
reds and pinks and corals,
black and white and tan,
purples and peaches,
paradise.
And it is
my salvation
because
it is where you save me,
save me from myself,
save me from the despair that is always looming,
save me from the dark thoughts always lurking,
save me
from the fear and anxiety and panic always leaving
stomach churning,
chest constricted,
heart racing.
It is where you remind that
there is still beauty to behold in this world
(Somebody tell the politicians, please),
there are still kind and generous
and compassionate people
(although some days you do wonder),
there are still people of character and conscience
(remember those things?)
and courage, moral courage,
(ring a bell?)
decent people
(not much of a compliment today, huh?);
and truth, there is still something called truth
(Really! Okay, maybe. No: really!)
and there is still joy
(but to listen to people, you’d never guess),
and there is still hope
(I hope),
(I take that back – there is hope. Period.),
(Christ is the period.)
It is my salvation,
a deck,
of all things,
because
that is where I remember you.
O Lord, may every last one of us
have such a place of
salvation,
because
we need it
so desperately,
need so desperately
to be reminded that
in the midst of
the ugliness and nastiness and cruelty,
in the midst of
all the lies and
(What’s that two word phrase, I’m looking for?),
anyway, the lies,
and now lies upon lies upon lies
(think: political ads),
the lovely lies so many love to love;
in the midst of
no character,
no conscience,
no moral courage
(which are good things not to have today
if you really want to go places);
to be reminded that
there is still beauty,
just the beauty of a day,
if only
we would
look up (from the phone, maybe),
look away (from the TV, maybe),
look around (at the sky or flowers or something
or someone, even pots or paintings maybe),
and look, really look;
the beauty
of a Polish tenor singing an aria
to Italian healthcare workers as a way
of thanking them,
singing it with such impossible beauty
that to hear it
is to weep tears
of gladness, yet sadness too,
the beauty
of all those things we once found beautiful,
simple things forgotten,
(It’s what ugliness and fear and violence do –
it’s all you think about);
to be reminded that there are still
people who are kind and compassionate
(They just don’t make the news much),
people of character and conscience and moral courage
(Why do I always think of
John Lewis
when I use those words?),
people of virtue and decency and generosity
(more than we might think);
to be reminded
that
there is still truth,
joy,
hope,
because,
(despite the rumors to the contrary),
there is still
you,
O God
of our salvation.
And that is our prayer, O Lord,
that you would
be thou
our salvation.
That you would save us,
save us from
despair,
dark thoughts,
fear and anxiety and panic,
the ugliness and nastiness and cruelty
we all are capable of,
and the boredom
of days empty
of family or friends, just some fun;
that you would save us from ourselves
to be the selves
you call us to be,
brave and loving and forgiving and kind and
good and gracious and generous,
people who live your truth, do right, seek justice
(Hey, it’s just the job description that comes
with the job
of being Christian).
O Lord, heal and strengthen and comfort
those who are ill with the coronavirus or other diseases,
those struggling financially,
those who mourn.
Teach us again
how to live together in peace.
Raise up leaders who heal and unite.
Protect protestors and police alike.
And grant wisdom
to local school boards
as they make tough decisions about returning safely to school.
And give us the will
to keep doing
the smart and simple things we can to stop the spread of the virus.
O Lord, help us each of us to find a place
where you come to us,
talk to us,
and we talk to you,
where
you calm us,
strengthen us,
grace us with
faith refreshed,
joy renewed,
hope reborn,
where
you save us.
Amen.