To be human is to be aware of our separation. We want to love and to be loved by our friends, our parents, our children; but often we feel alone, not knowing the right things to do or the right words to say. We want to live in harmony with the land, the water, the air, the plants, and the animals; but often we feel like clumsy blunderers, estranged from the natural world around us.

The confession of our separation is an act of humility; a willingness to admit that we are not as wise or as confident as we appear to be; that inside we sometimes feel lonely and confused. The act of confession is the first step in moving into a relationship.

To feel the presence of God we first stand at a distance, feeling our separation; then we turn and move into relationship, opening our hearts to other people, to the earth, to sounds of music. In turning we feel a mutual contact, the reciprocal meeting of the fullness of life between one active existence and another; we call this experience grace. In this experience of grace we rediscover God.

In the face of a child, in the hug of a friend, in the sounds of a choir, in the flowers of spring, the spirit of grace enters our bodies and renews our souls. Amen.