The Moment of Magic

Now is the moment of magic,
when the whole, round earth turns again toward the sun,

and here's a blessing:
the days will be longer and brighter now,
even before the winter settles in to chill us.

Now is the moment of magic,
when people beaten down and broken,
with nothing left but misery and candles and their own clear voices,
kindle tiny lights and whisper secret music,

and here's a blessing:
the dark universe is suddenly illuminated by the lights of the menorah,
suddenly ablaze with the lights of the kinara,
and the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing.

Now is the moment of magic,
when an eastern star beckons the ignorant toward an unknown goal,

and here's a blessing:
they find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby,
born at midnight, born in poverty, and the baby's cry, like bells ringing,
makes people wonder as they wander through their lives,
what human love might really look like,
sound like,
feel like.

Now is the moment of magic,

and here's a blessing:
we already possess all the gifts we need;
we've already received our presents:
ears to hear music,
eyes to behold lights,
hands to build true peace on earth
and to hold each other tight in love.

Bare trees reach to a grey sky
a medieval window from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, Scotland, depicting the Nativity
Soldiers from the 1st Theater Sustainment Command and the 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), U.S. Army reserves, celebrate Christmas Eve, holding lit candles

Walking Toward Morning

By Victoria Safford

From Skinner House Books

The 2003 inSpirit title. The inSpirit Series as previously known as the Meditation Manual Series.

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