Bright Shining Christ,
There is much for Black and Brown bodies to dread, here, in the Americas.
The trauma of the transatlantic slave trade
lives in our bodies.
The legacy of enslavement
lives in our systems.
But the thin gospel of oppression
could die in our worship.
if we choose to shine bravely, reflecting your glory,
if we choose to reject the lies of racism and White supremacy,
if we choose to dance…
make music …
share pain …
spread joy …
wake up and be magic.
We can choose to fight for a better society, and
we can remember that
we are of the earth and of the stardust,
we are precious, loved, and called to shine bright,
like the stars we are made of and the son that we follow.
Help us to make good choices.
Help us to shine brightly.
Amen.
—Alydia Smith