Wednesday, November 5, 2008

peace be with you.




when i grew up in the episcopal church
there was a time in each service where we turned to one another,
and no matter our differences,
clasped hands.

clasped hands across the backs of pews,
across aisles,
across the petty and the profane,
and spoke these words:

"peace be with you."

"and also with you."

no matter your beliefs,
your fears,
or your preferences in a voting booth yesterday,
as i sat in a hotel room in sao paulo, brazil
last night,
watching barack obama
enter history,
i could only think of this time.

and saying to you,
each of you,
every one of you,
across every aisle we have between us:

peace
be
with
you.

6 comments:

The Spicers said...

Amen!

Michael said...

Amen, brotha. I hope I'm not being too idealistic/unrealistic in thinking we can somehow work together in this country to make some real changes.

Jennifer said...

i only have faith in people. and until recently, that was running low.
until recently.

Jennifer said...

ps really sorry i couldn't put my vote in CA.

Landis said...

michael - hope and idealism got us to this place, so i think holding to them is essential to getting us further along.

editor - i was with you. and i wish you were in cali as well. but i have to tell myself that with great joy comes great reminders of what is left to accomplish. and that all change does not happen overnight. tim and i have been married, and denied, and then this year watched our friends married, then denied. but the momentum has begun, and if history is anything, it is consistent in it's lesson that momentum cannot be stopped.

Rob Martell said...

And also with you.