In this poem by Danna Faulds, I invite you to imagine God speaking these words to you:
Who you are is so much more than what you do.
The essence…the bare truth of you does not lie in your to-do list.
You are not just at the surface of your skin, not just the impulse to arrange the muscles of your face into a smile or a frown, not just boundless energy, or bone wearying fatigue.
Delve deeper.
You are divinity—the vast and open sky of spirit.
It’s the [fire] of God, the ember at your core, the passion and the presence, the timeless, deathless essence of you that reaches out and touches [others].
Who you are transcends fear and turns suffering into liberation.
Who you are is love.
Loving, creative God, help us to remember who we are when we are labeled because of our politics, religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, style, or appearance. May we remember that You know our heart, soul, and center as we turn suffering into liberation each day.—AMEN.