Words Found in the Rubble after the Final War
Yes, we lived in a time of darkness and did nothing.
Yes, we looked up and we saw the sky on fire
and we knew that we had made the flames
with our own hands.
Yes, we wasted every breath on rage.
Children, if any of you have survived this,
start again with the simplest things, we beg you.
Walk out through the garden of the darkness
and touch each other’s faces in the morning air.
Slowly. Slowly. Say each other’s names.
~ Joseph Fasano
We rape. We pillage. We abduct. We murder.
We traumatize. We terrorize. We torture.
All in the name of power, control, and dominance.
The bodies are falling, the blood is spilling, and we participate,
in our own unique way, in the annihilation of life.
God of love, life, and all that is holy,
Hear our cries for mercy,
Our pleas for peace.
For all the living creatures: plants, animals, and people of the countries who are experiencing terrorist insurgency, spread out your wings, God; spread them out as far as they can go, and invite all into the safety of your fold.
*For Israel and the sunset from the cliff over Makhtesh Ramon.
*For the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Lola Ya Bonobo, a sanctuary for orphaned bonobos.
*For Uganda and her Rwenzori Mountains, often called the “Mountains of the Moon.”
May Peace wander in and out of each crevice, every tree limb, whispering in the wind, “Let us be free from war.”
*For Afghanistan, including Balkh, one of the oldest cities in the world.
*For Algeria and Ahaggar National Park, home of the Atakor Plateau.
*For Iraq and the Euphrates River, lined with lush date palm groves.
May Justice beat her drum loud and strong with the reverberation reaching all the spaces, promoting peaceful action.
*For Benin and Lake Nokoue, where birdwatchers can catch a glimpse of the African Openbill.
*For Ghana and Kakum National Park, a biodiverse rainforest reserve.
*For Mali and Mount Hombori, rising in a wall of ochre-hued stone.
May Tenderness plant herself in the most unlikely places, sprouting dainty flowers, hearty vines, and exotic plants – all beautifully sharing the same earth, the same water, the same sun, and moon.
*For Tunisia and Hammamet, a small fishing town surrounded by lemon groves.
*For Burkina Faso and Banfora, home of the Karfiguela Waterfalls and a great place to spot hippos.
*For Mozambique and Gorongosa National Park, which provides shelter to species found nowhere else.
May Abundant Love rain down upon the people, creating a ripple effect, changing the world – where all people live in freedom, peace, and without the threat of war.
God of great wisdom, we have faith that you are with all who are suffering from the acts of terrorism. We ask that you show us the way to peace. What would you have us do, Lover of Justice….? What would you have us do? Amen.
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