Rev. Dr. Joseph V. Crockett, CEO, Friendship Press, Inc.
O God of the resurrection and life,
Teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
We live on the brink of death with every new sunrise
COVID 19 has become our new neighbor
He greets us with morning tears over the passing of those God loves
She enters our lives through front doors, backdoors, side doors, and doors unseen
And our mournful ways to say farewell have been stolen from the treasury of our rituals.
O God of the resurrection and life,
Teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
Some mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, partners, friends, and coworkers who court this dreadful disease mark their lives by BC (before COVID) and AC (after COVID)
Others less fortunate are marked in wooden boxes, held up by a layover in refrigerated coolers, until their resting space is prepared
Elderly persons are hidden in death-filled basements
Their concealers gave little thought that one day they would be discovered
As our mournful ways to say farewell have been stolen from the treasury of our rituals.
In a land of the free and home of the brave
America holds first place in a race that no nation wants to win
The sound of rattling, decayed bones screech against our ears
The stench of the dead interrupts our desire to smell
And our mournful ways to say farewell have been stolen from the treasury of our rituals.
O God of the resurrection and life,
Teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
Ventilator breathing has entered the lexicon of our language
Face masks are essential apparel for dress outside the home
Stay at home and shelter in place are code phrases for refuge
We dance by the rhythms of social distancing in public spaces
While our mournful ways to say farewell have been stolen from the treasury of our rituals.
O God of the resurrection and life,
Teach us to count our days
that we may gain a wise heart.
O Lord of the resurrection and life, you know
These bones and these bodies will live again
Help us hold to the hope that the morning’s joy will follow this season of tearstained mourning
Breathe on us, O God, so that even though we die, yet we will live again
Breathe on us, O God, so that all who die in the comfort of your presence may rest assured that
You, O Christ, are the seat of resurrection and the power for life everlasting. Amen.