There is something of life in beloved communities of hope and hard work. They help us recognize life still real beneath parched, empty grasses, even as we stand in the wind-kicked barren dust, the dirt blowing over bare hills.
“Beloved Community” is a term that has become dangerously close to being overused. At the same time, it encompasses the vision, through time and space, of communities of hope and hard work, of justice and courage, of being there for each other, of working toward creating a new world.
The work is hard. And it seems to me, that none of us can do this work of justice, hope, and healing of Creation alone. Beloved communities call us to this work, embolden us to do this work, hold us up when we fall, and are created and re-created by our presence and life with each other. That’s Beloved Community.
This poem (in a PDF file) is simply one reflection of what Beloved Community is about.