Veni sancte spiritus.
Come, Holy Spirit, breath of life.
Come in the luke-warm breeze that cuts through the humid heat.
Come in the sun-infused waves licking our ankels
and the cool sand my toes find below the burning surface.
Veni sancte spiritus.
Come through the hard and holy remembrances
of those who have been driven from this land,
of those who have been enslaved, beaten, lynched,
of families torn apart
and landscapes that cannot be put back together.
Veni sancte spiritus.
Come through the stories written in scripture, published in print, and whispered among friends.
Come through the songs we sing, the words we proclaim, the prayers we raise.
Come in our bewilderment, our stumbling, and our courage.
Come, Holy Spirit, breath of life.
Veni sancte spiritus.

Rev. Joanna Harader serves as pastor of Peace Mennonite Church in Lawrence, KS. She recently returned home from a two-week road trip through Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
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