We gather in contemplative practice to claim our space and acknowledge the community we share. We come as we are, seeking help in tending to our suffering. In this, we honor those before us who found strength through prayer, song, and movement, even in the face of struggle. Their practices sustain us. We hold our community with hope, trusting in the Spirit working in and through us. The civil rights movement was rooted in contemplation, in the stillness that gave birth to action. Our healing work is no different. Some dismiss it as passive, but true transformation begins within. The exterior work of social justice is only as strong as the interior work that births and fuels it. By listening, sharing, and grieving together, we build the interior strength needed for justice. Healing fuels change.
May our inner work sustain the justice we seek,
and may our healing fuel the change the world needs.
(inspired by Barbara A. Holmes, Joy Unspeakable; Liz Walker, No One Left Alone)