By Talitha Fraser —
Shalom… I try and think what to write about wholeness or peace or wellbeing.
Right now, I’m not certain I know anything about that.
I kneel on the beach for a long time. Eventually, comforting words come:
Lay your burdens down, burdens down, burdens down child
I will come to you, come to you, come to you child
I will lift you up, lift you up, lift you up child
The words drip in.
Let your tears fall down…
Lay your sorrow down…
Lay your heartbreak down…
I sit until it’s too cold to stay.
Walking to warm myself the words seem to keep pace with my steps.
Lay your spirit down… Lay your body down… lay your hunger down… lay your weapons down… lay your anger down… lay your sadness down… lay your hatred down… lay your power down… lay your stigma down… lay your baggage down…
Taking some journey much further than my physical steps traverse.
I will come to you, come to you, come to you child
I will lift you up, lift you up, lift you up child
I am aware that as I pray. I am more than myself. That Eucharistic mystery that invites me to something bigger and beyond myself and reminding me of my own smallness within that means that while these words speak to my own pain, they speak to the world’s also.
This is our solace. We don’t have to go anywhere. There is no difficult ascent beyond our ability to attain. God comes to us, where we are, and does all the heavy-lifting.
Go in peace but come again… Shalom.