This is a blessing I wrote for the Asian and Pacific Islanders Caucus's for September 2, 2017 held in the First Unitarian Church of Oakland.
Good day everyone. I’m happy to be part of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus’s first meeting in 3 years. Let us bless this holy community with a reminder on movement.
May I invite you to meditate on these words:
May I invite you to meditate on these words:
We are made by movement,
we are made of movement,
we are made for movement of the mind,
the soul, the body, the going away, the coming inward,
the letting in, the letting go, the run,
the stride, the leap, the dive, the flight.
Movement is an expression not just of life but of agency.
It is harder not to move than to move.
And so great is the task to be intentional.
We cannot forever hide within our questions,
a time will come to risk mistakes,
to ask aloud, to be naked in thought and intention
so that we can learn to be in conversation.
We are made to move
sometimes with one another,
through one another,
sometimes for one another,
against one another,
all to understand the interconnectedness of life and its wholeness.
No power is an island.
It comes from somewhere and moves somewhere.
It is held up by many things.
No power stands alone.
We must choose a movement.
We will move ourselves.
We will move others.
We will move the world.
May we be intentional in community.
May we stay with the trouble.
May we move by faith and love
with the joy and wisdom of our diverse beliefs.
I send you the blessing of small creatures,
they teach us size is meaningless and meaningful.
I send you the blessing of the invisible,
they are beyond what’s been imagined.
I send you the blessing of the unidentified,
they challenge organized hatred.
I send you the blessing of the misfit,
they stretch our labels and break our boxes.
I send you the blessing of the “damaged”,
they challenge the orthodox.
I send you the blessing of disruption,
it teaches us life is not just routine.
I send you the blessing of the felon,
they can teach us about redemption.
I send you the blessing of a colleague,
a friend, a patner in movement,
I hope you never have to feel alone.
Good day everyone. I’m happy to be part of the Asian Pacific Islander Caucus’s first meeting in 3 years. Let us bless this holy community with a reminder on movement.
May I invite you to meditate on these words:
May I invite you to meditate on these words:
We are made by movement,
we are made of movement,
we are made for movement of the mind,
the soul, the body, the going away, the coming inward,
the letting in, the letting go, the run,
the stride, the leap, the dive, the flight.
Movement is an expression not just of life but of agency.
It is harder not to move than to move.
And so great is the task to be intentional.
We cannot forever hide within our questions,
a time will come to risk mistakes,
to ask aloud, to be naked in thought and intention
so that we can learn to be in conversation.
We are made to move
sometimes with one another,
through one another,
sometimes for one another,
against one another,
all to understand the interconnectedness of life and its wholeness.
No power is an island.
It comes from somewhere and moves somewhere.
It is held up by many things.
No power stands alone.
We must choose a movement.
We will move ourselves.
We will move others.
We will move the world.
May we be intentional in community.
May we stay with the trouble.
May we move by faith and love
with the joy and wisdom of our diverse beliefs.
I send you the blessing of small creatures,
they teach us size is meaningless and meaningful.
I send you the blessing of the invisible,
they are beyond what’s been imagined.
I send you the blessing of the unidentified,
they challenge organized hatred.
I send you the blessing of the misfit,
they stretch our labels and break our boxes.
I send you the blessing of the “damaged”,
they challenge the orthodox.
I send you the blessing of disruption,
it teaches us life is not just routine.
I send you the blessing of the felon,
they can teach us about redemption.
I send you the blessing of a colleague,
a friend, a patner in movement,
I hope you never have to feel alone.
