“I wish we never had to wish”

Earlier this week I stood in line to cast my “vote” in early voting. The line was long, stretching outside of my local library. Once inside the library, the line wrapped around the perimeter of the book shelves. I felt fortunate that as I passed the shelves for preordered books there was one with my name on it. Gladly I took it from the shelf and began reading as the line inched forward. It also felt a contradiction being in line to vote in a library when so many others, perhaps some in front of me or behind me would wish to have many books banned from the library!! The book in my hands might well become one of those banned books. It was a recent publication of poems by Mosab Abu Toha a Palestinian poet from Gaza. His book poems is titled Forest of Noise. He is also the founder of the Edward Said Library in Gaza, which he hopes to rebuild! As I moved closer to casting my vote my heart grew sadder as I turned the pages and read the poems. Mosab featured on NPR “Fresh Air” on October 15. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/15/1211596753/fresh-air-draft-10-15-2024j I share with you two of his poems. Please pause, ponder, and I urge you to pray.

Rescue Plane
I wish I had a rescue plane
to fly over Gaza
to drop wheat flour and tea bags,
tomatoes and cucumbers,
to remove the rubble of the house,
to retrieve the corpses of my loved ones.

I wish for a second rescue plane
to drop flowers for children-
the ones still alive – to plant
on the graves of their parents and siblings
in the streets or schoolyards.

The wish behind the wish?

I wish there were no planes at all.
I wish there were no war.
I wish we never had to wish.

For a Moment
Her small body rides in my arms
as I run to the hospital.
There is no electricity
and the inner hallways are
a forest lined with cots.
The girl I carry
is dead,
I know that.
The pressure of the explosion
tore apart her thin veins.
I know she is dead,
but everyone who sees us
runs after us.
You are alive
for a moment,
when living people
run after you.

Prayer:
Lord God,
our hearts break as we
watch from a distance the brokenness
of lives in Gaza, Israel, Ukraine and all places
where war is present.
Lord God, our hearts break with the pain
of powerlessness to make the world a safe place.
Lord God, we give thanks for those who risk
everything to do the right thing, those who risk
everything to offer succor to the suffering,
to offer hope to the hopeless, to offer food
to the famished.
Lord God, hear our prayer and send us
a way to find rescue amidst the rubble of mortar,
and a way to find truth amidst the dust of lies. Amen.