PRAYER FOR THE GREAT TURNING

May the turning of the Earth save us. May the turning of the seasons & the turning of the leaves save us. May we be saved by the worms, the beetles & the microbes turning the soil. May we be saved by the turning of vegetation into compost & the turning of compost into rich soil. May the turning of seeds into plants & the turning of flowers into fruits save us. May the grasses & weeds, the vines & mosses all conspire to save us. May we be saved by the turning of sprouts into saplings, of saplings into trees, & the trees into forests. May the scurrying, foraging, pouncing & lumbering of the animals save us.

May the breath of heaven in the breezes & the stormy winds save us. May the dance of the butterflies, & the musical flight & return of the birds save us. May we be saved by vapors turning into clouds & by the turning of the ever-changing clouds into rain. May the waters flowing from springs into the lakes save us. May the streams flowing into rivers, the rivers into seas, & the great heaving of the oceans save us. May we be saved by the patient turning of the rocks, the hills, the mountains, & the volcanoes. May the metabolism of the climates of the Earth save us. May the turnings of all Beings great & small move us to find wisdom in our own turnings.

May we be saved by our waking & sleeping, by the rhythms of our blood & our appetites, by the cycles of birthing & nurturing, injury & healing, mating & nesting, loss & discovery, joy & mourning. May we find in time the grace to turn to one another, & may this turning also become our salvation. May we learn to benefit the life of Earth with peace, humble in our needs, & generous in our giving. May we learn to celebrate the abundance of life with gratitude, & to embrace the Earth with our bodies in return.

Joanne Sunshower


haggadah Section: Commentary / Readings
Source: SEDER FOR THE EARTH: Facing the Plagues & Pharaohs of Our Generation, Shalom Center