Peace, As If

Erin S. Lane is a colleague I met through The Fellowship of United Methodists in Worship, Music and Other Arts, and I greatly admire her and her work. She has graciously given her expressed permission to quote her from earlier this week —

I think our liturgy (liturgy meaning our public service, liturgy meaning the work of the people) is the work of as if. We say the horrible out loud, as if. We send the ‘What a nightmare” texts, as if. We call our elected officials, as if. As if ALL of this does help. And we call for peace, too. Sure, I’m just as numb as anyone to the “thoughts and prayers” pleasantries.

And yet in the morning-after doom-scrolling, I call for peace as if she might like to rise and answer me: God, in your mercy…