NAACP Prayer Event at Worcester City Hall, October 3, 2017

I was recently asked to speak at a prayer event sponsored by the local Worcester chapter of the NAACP.  My assignment was to speak about disappointment.  Here's a transcript of what I said:

My name is Rev. Melissa Myozen Blacker, and I am one of the resident priests and guiding teachers at the Boundless Way Zen Buddhist Temple on Pleasant Street.

This has been a difficult year for many of us, especially

in the realm of politics,

in immigration reform,

in the effort to repair our planet’s climate,

in the increase in hate crimes directed at women  

LGBTQ people and people of color

and the continued escalation of gun violence.  

The list is long. 

And maybe you have also had some hard times personally this year. 

Sorrow, sickness, aging and death touch us all at various times. 

Let us take a few moments, in silence, 

to acknowledge our grief and our pain, and any disappointments that we have experienced during this challenging year.

(Silence)

As we open our hearts and minds to what is difficult

let us turn towards what is possible. 

Let us find a way to turn our grief and pain into power,

into determination,

into a renewed energy to fight for justice in this burning world.

Let us lift our hearts up in community and solidarity. 

Let us heal any divisions in our hearts.

Let us be determined to make a difference.

May all beings heal and have peace.