” On the day
the blessings of heaven.
On this day
the blessings of earth.
On this day
the blessings of sea and of sky.
To open us to life
to ground us in life
to fill us with life
and with wonder.
On those we love this day
and in every human family
the blessings of heaven
the blessings of earth
the blessings of sea and sky.”
~John Philip Newell

Today has certainly felt like a day filled with blessings. The mornings seem to begin ever earlier with the sounds of the winged ones singing out their morning hymns of praise. If you, like our family, like to sleep with a window slightly open to allow fresh air to filter in, you know that these are not days for late risers. The chirping calls alone make early birds of us all.

And why wouldn’t a being sing like that if they could? The sun rising, the air filling with the ripe scents of growing, it is a fulsome time to be awake and alive. Today’s sky is a rich blue, clouds are few. And yes, it is a little warm but for those of us so accustomed to layer upon layer of warmth-producing fabric, we have little to complain about. This sudden warming will, no doubt, cause blooming and blossoming all around. This is, after all, what we have been waiting for. For more than nine months there has been some form of snow or ice present on our lawns, in the parks and on the lakes. And now the blessings of earth and sky are calling to us to ‘ open us to life, to ground us in life, to fill us with life.’ And our work? To be filled with wonder. Seems a pretty easy job to me.

I read these words of John Philip Newell this morning while the day was still fresh on me. Awakened by the birds and anticipating the details that would make up this day, I turned to his Celtic Benediction for a morning prayer. His words calling for this full body blessing seemed fitting. Especially when I got to the next line: ” On those we love and on every human family” blessings.I thought about the simplicity and the depth of this prayer. Not just my family and other families I love but on every human family. For such a small number of words it is a tall order.

To pray this prayer with any integrity means I am calling upon the Sacred in this amazing day to bless every family…..those with whom I disagree…those that look drastically different than my own…..those who do not share my often self-righteousness way of being in the world……those who work against the issues I hold sacred…….those who have much and those who have little….those who never imagined a world I take for granted…..those who name God by a hundred other names and those who do not take to this God thing at all. To all of these in the human family, the blessings of heaven,earth, sea and sky.

This state I call home has been embroiled in heated debates over the last days that have resulted in a vote for equality of marriage that has been the triumph of so many and the seeming defeat of others. People I know have given their hearts, their talents, their time and passion to this endeavor. I have one lens with which I see this all and I am overjoyed at the outcome. I want to wear this joy in humility.

And so on this day, when we declare that love has triumphed, may we also take a moment, as the bird’s did this morning, to offer a blessing on those we love and every human family.