The world is a heart
broken at the moment
stitched back together in the next
by well wishes for peace
wasted on ears seemingly bent
on being deaf.

Sutures don’t fix fractures.
Fissures in our bones
in our backs
in our neighborhoods
in our homes
require a reset—
a brace,
a cast,
a sling,
an apology.

Healing takes time
takes prayer
takes love
takes understanding
takes humility.

But the body can’t heal
when it’s actively hurting
when the teeth grit
and the tears flow
and the sleep is stolen
and the energy dissipates
to a hollow casing of self.

We’re so numb in our pain
as our bodies fade
and our minds grow weak.
It’s easy to not only
forget our broken bones,
we forget our strength
our resilience
our hope
our courage.

And yet, the dawn of a new day
restores to us a vision of wholeness;
a warm smile from a friendly face
thaws our frozen hearts;
and our blood courses through
with renewed vigor of life.
For indeed we are present
in the pain, in our weakness.
We are purposeful in our waiting;
we are healing in our brokenness
so that we can head back into
a battle where light always conquers dark.

We are struck down
but not abandoned;
we are not crushed
though pressed within an inch of death.
We are blessed beyond this curse
of a tortured life on earth.
We are called to be peacemakers
& we must fight for what’s right.

Therefore:
my sisters & brothers
though outwardly we waste away.
Day by day our brokenness,
our pain, our end-of-the-ropes despair
are being renewed by a grace that is sufficient,
a mercy that gives us heart.

This moment of present weakness
reveals an eternal presence
& a call to look ahead
to advocate
to love
even, especially,
when the healing cannot yet be seen.

For this weakness is temporal.
We’re living toward forever.

SDG