I love you because your transness is not something you overcame—it is something you are.


This is the Christmas of trumpets and trembling, of a universe tilted by a single birth, of a holiness that descends like a meteor and lands in a manger. But there is another way the story might be told…

We remember that holiness has never belonged only to the mighty or the certain, but to the vulnerable, the weary, the seekers, and to all who dare to love in difficult times.

In this hour of candlelight, we remember that holiness is not far away. It is here— in breath shared, in hope rekindled, in the quiet courage to begin again.

Take this as an invitation to cross thresholds of challenge, not on our own, not for ourselves alone, but side by side…

Golden leaves and harvest cheer, We gather close as frost draws near. But whispers rise from warming seas; A planet pleads beneath the trees…

Each Sunday we light the chalice of our religious heritage. We do this for our ancestors… We do this for our children… We do this for ourselves…

When political violence is no longer a rhetorically-based thing but rather happening in front of our very own eyes, it can be hard to know what to do next.

How, each morning after you left this earth, did the sun decide to rise once again?

These people: they are mine and I am theirs.

In contemplating what's beyond my control, I surrender to The Universe that which I can not accomplish.

With the lighting of this flame let us shine upon the hearts of all those who suffer, who yearn, and who crave the joyful noise of community–all Beings, not one left behind.

For a long time, both villages existed separately, across the canyon, happily humming along in life. They knew the other was there, but never had much cause to interact.…

For too long, we have been fed the misconception that our worth is tied to our productivity, leaving disabled people to be viewed as less vital to the wholeness of our beloved communities.

Hope resides in the promise that love can always expand, always meet us, always teach us to cast down the mighty, raise up the broken, and rekindle the truth of our interdependence.

Spirit of Life and Love, may we offer our humble, if not sometimes begrudging, gratitude for the miracle of moments taken for granted— for minutes that feel like hours, for the miracle of mountain tops and coral reefs, the miracle of survival and ancient olive trees…

In the spirit of the ever-searching mind and the deep questioning soul, we call to mind beloved books and their wisdom.

Aarav Arikara reads his reflection “I Reclaim My Power,” about the challenges and joys of being a trans man.

Blessed are all who hunger and thirst for liberation, for we shall inherit the future. 

Help me to give grace when it’s needed, both to myself and to others.