Sheltering in Peace

(Living in Pandemic Times)

Shabbat Shalom… Shalom… shelemut…
wholeness, peace encompassing all, including all
the light, the dark, the ups, the downs.
gratitude and fear, faith and doubt, hope and despair
making space to hold it all.

The eternal ebb and flow of life has always been and will always be
the intricate dance between dark and light.
one’s existence dependent upon the other.

Yet at the foundation beneath our feet and
in the cosmos above our heads
there has always been and will always be
the eternal light of the One.

Our journey is marked each week, month and
at holy moments along the way
with the light of creation, memory, celebration, and hope.

Each week we leave behind the life we think is the only reality
and we enter into God’s garden of delight, wonder, gratitude and
connection…

We take a deep breath, as we pause, stop and rest
in the arms of Shechinah
as she lights our way with the soul lights of Shabbas…

Centuries-old history lives in these lights
embedded prayers for healing and blessing
and the glow of loving facings reflects the yearning
to connect to the Ner Tamid, the eternal life force
that lives in the Holy Candle of God.

May the gift of our weekly Shelter in Peace
awaken the remembrance in each of our souls
of the Eternal flame that lives inside
so that which has always been and will always be
may be transferred l’dor’ l’dor for generations to come.
Shabbat Shalom…