Lamentation
by the Rev. Elizabeth Lerner
Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church of Silver Spring, MD
(based on the writings of Nancy Wood)We have lost people we knew, people we loved, people we never knew, will never know.
Their lives were taken in fire, in stone and metal, in earth, in water.
It is hard to pray.
Words fail us and reality belies our prayers.
We cannot pray that they did not suffer fear or pain, we know they did, some may even now, even while we are gathered here because it is all we can do.
We cannot give thanks for long lives well-lived,
Nor for time to make peace and love before passing.
Yesterday, today, life has been a gorilla, a leviathan,
Something brute we cannot comprehend, that can shatter us and move on
Leaving us with a beautiful day of sunshine and balmy breezes blowing dreadful ashes.
How little we can pray for
To the creative spirit that animates our world.
to the elements of the world that give us life,
that received those lives yesterday, last night, today.
We pray that their souls are at peace.
From each other and from the world, we ask for help.
May our leaders lead us with wisdom, justice and compassion.
May we all find our way through this labyrinth, somehow, to peace.
Rock, strengthen us.
Rain, receive our doubt.
Sun, receive the anger from our hearts.
Earth, receive our woe.
