Meditation after Aurora, Colorado Shootings

Spirit of life and love, within us and around us, always present and as close as our very breath…

We are reminded of life’s fragility repeatedly – this shooting in Colorado, the murder of three little girls in River Falls, in reports of violence in every city and town, and the endless reporting of casualties of wars and conflicts around the world. Violence, it seems, is always a breath away.

But it’s not just violence that hovers nearby. Life also ends suddenly in accidents, or heart attacks; or slowly in terminal illnesses, and naturally in one’s elder years…

And yet we live.

We live, holding life to be all the more precious, knowing that it will end someday… knowing that it can end suddenly.

So, as we live, let us live with deliberate purpose.

Let us breathe more consciously, savoring each lungful of sweet air, welcoming and releasing the spirit that breathes in and through each of us.

Let us listen more intentionally – to the rustle of the wind in leaves, to the songs of birds, frogs and insects, to the rhythm and music of our neighborhoods, and to each other’s wonderful voices.

Let us taste what we consume mindfully, enjoying the strong and subtle flavors produced by nature and skilled hands in many kitchens.

Let us look at the world and each other with clear eyes, absorbing the beauty of all that surrounds us, and marveling at the loveliness of each other’s faces, marked with our lives’ experiences.

Let us reach out and touch the cool grass, the rushing waters, the sun-warmed stones, the hands of our beloveds, the hands of our friends – and the hands of those who are different from us…. knowing we are all connected.

And, in the silence, let us follow our thoughts to the longings of our own hearts and souls…

Spirit of life and love, let our hearts be touched with gratitude for this moment, this hour, this day, and this one precious life we are given. And help us remember that each life is a blessing, and each life lost affects us all.
Blessed be. Amen.
(c) Earthbound Spirit, 2012.