Grief is an atmosphere
miles high pressing down on us.
It is the air we breathe.
Loss is the country
thrust upon us,
refugees from the land of
to have and to hold.
We do hold on, we won’t let go,
but it’s to memories
not flesh and blood.
God, can we find you
in this fierce wanting?
Buffeted by storms of emotion,
or stunned by numb bleakness,
can you be a harbour?
We pray for all mourners.
Surround us with people who care.
Give strength to face
the details of death:
letting people know,
tying up a thousand loose ends,
filling out the paperwork
where every signature is a goodbye.
Be with us as we collect the fragments;
the shoes under the table,
the note with the pen still beside it,
the phone with the messages
that will never be picked up.
It’s too much.
Each night give us sleep
and even sometimes dreams of reunion.
Wake us up to the possibility
that hope is rolling toward us
beyond this dark horizon.
This is our prayer,
that peace will reach us all in time.
Amen.
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I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.