Bound by Impermanence

Raindrops on a clear umbrella, looking up into a grey sky with a blurry building in the background.

Mystery of the Universe –
Ground of our very Being,
Truly it is said that you make the sun rise, and the life giving rains fall,
on both the just and the unjust
And in that way, yours is an abounding grace, and we give our thanks.

But it is also true that none of us are ever really spared –
Neither the just, nor the unjust,
For try as we might we are still all subject to the challenges of pain,
death, and separation –
to the inherent impermanence of our material existence.

And yet – and yet – the fact that no one is spared,
suggests that neither are we ever truly alone
since we all partake in this ephemeral reality.

So, may the fact of our shared human condition
foster empathy, compassion, and mutual loving support.
May the stories of all those who have gone before us
– ordinary flesh and blood people just like us
– remind us of the deep reserves of courage and strength that lie
within each and every one of us.

And may the transient and ephemeral nature of life
compel us to savor every moment,
While also reminding us, particularly in our most trying times,
that “this, too, shall pass.”

May it be so.
Amen.