Hope's Seed

When all that we hope for has been

snatched from underneath us,

we come face to face with

the seed and root of hope itself:

the eternal presence and promise

of grace. Our deepest gratitude

for this gift is expressed in the courage

and compassion to risk uncensored presence

in the midst of another's attempt at dying well;

or even to endure the pain

of  helplessly watching someone’s

unnecessarily horrible death because

their image of self could not be rescued

from the prison of its own Hell.

Prayers for all of us whose living

will enter the grave with the dead.

May their love greet us on the far side

of this deep and shadowed valley,

pulling us, by faith, deeper

into life’s joy and meaning.

© 2013 Todd Jenkins