When I'm asked to offer a public invocation, I'm sensitive to the many faiths and philosophies in the audience, as well at the overarching rubric of the separation of church and state. At political events, I'm particularly careful/mindful. A few years agoI delivered the following invocation at a Presidents' Day Gathering of DuPage Democrats. It made its way to the Internet and was used at other public events around the country.
So We the People might acknowledge, together,
deeper rhythms of our common life.
Some of us choose to pray, invoking a deity
Some of us choose to meditate or reflect,
invoking timeless ideals and universal
principles.
Some of us simply choose to keep a silence--
alone in our private chambers of thought--
listening, perhaps waiting for a Word.
We the People invoke God--the Nameless One of the Jewish
tradition, the Incarnation of Jesus of the Christian faith,
Allah of Islam, Brahma in the many avatars of
Hinduism, the Buddha Spirit, the Goddess,
--all manifestations of the Divine realized by
persons of strong traditions and good intentions.
Or We the People invoke the Substances
behind the Forms we cherish: Love,
Humanity, Justice, Democracy, Sisterhood
and Brotherhood, Freedom, or Community.
Or We the People invoke, in our silence,
inner resources: reason, conscience, intuition,
inspiration, or imagination.
When We the People gather, as we gather now,
we gather under a Great Covenant:
Liberty
centered in an impartial Justice that edges
closer and closer to fairness and compassion.
When We the People gather, as we gather, now,
we join the faiths and philosophies that
sustain us separately and honor our Great
Covenant
In this expansive spirit, we pause, we invoke, we
recall, we dedicate,--now,--in this moment and
in this place:
An Invocation for We the People
We the People pause, as we do at events such as this,So We the People might acknowledge, together,
deeper rhythms of our common life.
Some of us choose to pray, invoking a deity
Some of us choose to meditate or reflect,
invoking timeless ideals and universal
principles.
Some of us simply choose to keep a silence--
alone in our private chambers of thought--
listening, perhaps waiting for a Word.
We the People invoke God--the Nameless One of the Jewish
tradition, the Incarnation of Jesus of the Christian faith,
Allah of Islam, Brahma in the many avatars of
Hinduism, the Buddha Spirit, the Goddess,
--all manifestations of the Divine realized by
persons of strong traditions and good intentions.
Or We the People invoke the Substances
behind the Forms we cherish: Love,
Humanity, Justice, Democracy, Sisterhood
and Brotherhood, Freedom, or Community.
Or We the People invoke, in our silence,
inner resources: reason, conscience, intuition,
inspiration, or imagination.
When We the People gather, as we gather now,
we gather under a Great Covenant:
centered in an impartial Justice that edges
closer and closer to fairness and compassion.
When We the People gather, as we gather, now,
we join the faiths and philosophies that
sustain us separately and honor our Great
Covenant
In this expansive spirit, we pause, we invoke, we
recall, we dedicate,--now,--in this moment and
in this place:
Let there be humility for the bounties
we freely enjoy.
Let there be gratitude for the labor of those
who preceded us, as well as those who serve and keep us now.
And let there be hope for those who will
follow, for whom we prepare a way.
We the People seek these things
In our many voices and in our varied integrities.
we freely enjoy.
Let there be gratitude for the labor of those
who preceded us, as well as those who serve and keep us now.
And let there be hope for those who will
follow, for whom we prepare a way.
We the People seek these things
In our many voices and in our varied integrities.
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