a prophetic voice-

                                        Voices crying out      Pain, frustration, fill the air          Fear striving to win             I cannot listen      Cannot let hatred take me-         I watch swirling leaves        Wind makes a whirlwind      Of yellow, red, and orange           While I am sobbing             I cannot see the wind     Or chart my own breath's pathway         Yet I know both are real             Nor can I see love      Or hate- yet I know their fruits-              Tangible and real             Can cruelty win out?        Hatred of others triumph?                  Not if I say NO                                                        So I walk Love's path         But stagger, feeling all alone-         Please reach out your hand           Grab hold, my dear friend            Form a wall of daring love              Hatred cannot breach.                        Love wins.

As we worshiped together this morning, remembering those saints in the faith who had completed this earthly part of their journey during the past year...as we sang the lovely, heart rending words of John Ylvisaker's "Borning Cry"...as we heard Pastor Jennifer's proclamation of the Gospel message- "Do to others as you would have them do to you."...as we lighted candles in remembrance of those loved and lost since last All Saints'...as we shared in the holy meal, enacting in our very own flesh our one-ness as the Body of Christ in this place...as we shared in the prayer for this election, asking the one God to grant us wisdom and discernment, respect and compassion, even for those with whom we disagree... as we were a part of all these things on this beautiful, glorious, sunny Carolina day, my mind and heart were filled to overflowing with the words of the baptismal blessing in our Lutheran tradition, the words said over every baptized pe