A section of Everett Graffeo's poem, below, was accidentally omitted from the January-February Herald magazine. Please enjoy the entire poem, with our apologies.
A Tiny Flame
Everett Graffeo
A tiny flame is light.
It seems so inconsequential.
It is so small over against the light of the sun.
But in the dark of a moonless night,
It is the glow of warmth, safety, and peace.
That is how we feel today, Lord.
Like a tiny flame of no consequence
In the brightness of your presence.
But amid the uncertainties and fragilities of life
A single soul or a tiny quorum of persons,
or petite community of faith
Can bring warmth, safety, and peace.
It is in such small enclaves that we learn
so much about how to live.
The simple but complex issues of living together in community
Are played out daily in our individual and corporate stories.
There are so many things we do not know,
Our questions persist, they are countless
like those of Seers and Prophets, past and present.
With Moses, we ask, “Why do the heavens weep?”
With Jesus, we ask, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”
We wonder at our blessings. Why us?
We flourish in our relationships and in our diversity,
yet fall short in our actions. Why?
We live with an awareness of the holiness
of the planet we walk upon but abuse it to its death.
We ask, “How does it happen?”
We cherish this place; it is our home;
We cherish each other; we are family;
Yet we forget. Why?
We say peace, peace, but there is no peace.
Devastating tornadoes destroy lives and property,
Earthquakes and tsunamis lay siege to peoples and nations,
Unrelenting wars and atrocities leave people alone, without home.
Our hope, our faith is like the tiny glow of the candle of peace,
We pray to become instruments of your peace,
But we fail to be an answer to our own prayers
Help us be the presence of your warmth,
your safety, and your peace.
Help us to care for each other,
Cherish each other,
Encourage each other,
Teach each other,
Forgive each other,
Lift each other up,
Bless each other,
Love each other,
Not for ourselves alone,
But all.
And when we do so, humbly, do it in the name of your son, Jesus,
the source, the presence of our peace.
Amen.