Promise This World Your Love


I am revisiting this incredible poem written by Lynn Ungar in early March...who knew? It was hopeful and helpful then but what about now? Now, more than ever, we need to "Promise this world your love".
As I look out over the last four months (yikes!) I find her advise prescient. “give up”, “center down” “reach out” have taken on poignant and deep meaning. 
Her last lines cause me to think about sacrament and covenant, two sacred concepts. It makes a lot of sense to me that many of us have recommitted to each other as to a spouse; many of us have have found ourselves, for better or worse, pledging our loyalty, pledging to care for and respect the dignity of every human being, every human being. 
As we reopen and venture out may these be our guidelines, may this be our covenant with each other: to honor our connectedness, so long as we all shall live. 
Pandemic
What if you thought of it
as the Jews consider the Sabbath—
the most sacred of times?
Cease from travel.
Cease from buying and selling.
Give up, just for now, 
on trying to make the world
different than it is. 
Sing. Pray. Touch only those
to whom you commit your life.
Center down.

And when your body has become still,
reach out with your heart.
Know that we are connected
in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.
(You could hardly deny it now.)
Know that our lives
are in one another’s hands.
(Surely, that has come clear.)
Do not reach out your hands.
Reach out your heart.
Reach out your words.
Reach out all the tendrils
of compassion that move, invisibly,
where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love–
for better or for worse,
in sickness and in health,
so long as we all shall live.

–Lynn Ungar 3/11/20

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