Tilt: A Prayer for the Winter Solstice

This is the time of year when
The earth tilts away from the sun

And the days are muted and short. 

Still,

After twelve months of rising up and sinking down, 

Of illness and recovery,

Victory and disappointment,

Justice and injustice,

War and ceasefire,

Science and superstition,

A shorter day is sounding kinda good. 

But

Soon we will tilt in the other direction

Towards the green days of growth,

So perhaps this is a good moment

To choose what we will do next:
   Shall we be quiet and reflective
   Or make noise and good trouble?
   Shall we honor history and wisdom 

   Or create new solutions?
   Do we explore the mysteries of 

    existence

   Or insist on objective truth?

How about 

All of the above?

There is enough time   

In the longer days ahead. 

So

HaShleimut, Holy Completion,

May we all be blessed with light in the long night, 

Warmth in the cold, 
Glitter in the snow,

Peace in the discord,

And a few good parties. 

And then

Let’s chase that tilt towards the sun.

May we all have a joyful winter solstice!

Amen. 

We Must Pray and We Must Do: A Prayer for Lighting Candles

We give thanks for the ones who offer prayers.

We give thanks for the ones who take action.

We cannot heal the world without both,

We must pray AND we must do.

When so many people

Have vanished into the darkness

We light these candles 

And say the blessings

And pray for those who have been injured or killed or raped.

And pray for those who are worried and homeless and hungry.

And pray for those who are lost to themselves.

May we all be joined in yearning holy conversation

And pray when prayer is needed.

We must pray AND we must do.

When so many people

Have vanished into the darkness

We light these candles

And bless those who are working so hard to make things better.

May we join with the stubborn 

Of all places and religions and races and gender and sexual orientations,

Who, when times are hard,

Refuse to disappear,

Those who fight so hard for their communities

With food and advice and shelter and organizing and work and love and insistence and resistence.

May we all be joined in holy struggle

And act when action is needed. 

We must pray AND we must do.

We give thanks for the ones who offer prayers.

We give thanks for the ones who take action.

We cannot heal the world without both,

Blessed is the Source of Light!

We are holy with the obligation to speak goodness and do good

As we light these Shabbat/Mourning/Hanukkah candles

We will pray and we will do.

Amen