A Litany For Weeping

August 6, 2019 Brent Thomas

We think that there are no more tears left,
that we can’t,
as a people,
possibly mourn this deeply, this often.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We are numb,
staggering with disbelief,
scared and wondering if shalom
still exists.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We try to make sense of hate,
try to trace the line
of white supremacy.

We see that though we’ve come so far,
it’s not so far that we’ve come.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We name those who have died
from unjust institutions
and the carrying on of hate.

We raise our fists and
beat our chests.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We hope to be brave,
but we are tired.
We hope for freedom,
but there are so many in shackles.

So we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

We fight with weapons of
peace and humility.
We fight with the power
of listening.

We breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.

And when tomorrow comes,
and the day is new,
we cannot deny reality.

We live our own belovedness,
and the belovedness of others.

So today, in all our places, we breathe and remember:
Jesus wept.
And so we breathe and weep with him.