There is peace. Yet, I cannot even calm my heart without reminding myself of it. I cannot face another murder without knowing it. I hear the reasons, see the protest, feel the rage. I live among the popping of guns, black children afraid of imminent death, rage relentless, endless hearts broken, beauty ignored, homes besieged, liberation laughed at, songs used for profit, bodies pulverized, stories of dehumanization overflowing like lava onto every inch of the path we walk.
With so much devastation everywhere, I’d like to nudge in between the lines a moment of rejuvenation, the offering of the bell chant this morning. And I too ring the bell. May the bell be heard where there is constant sorrow and death. May it bless the black lives that didn’t matter to some. May it bless up the black child that has been born today. May the bell be heard in celebration of it’s new arrival. May the bell be heard in all the places in the world where the death toll mounts.