Stress and fear: How do you offer hospitality to these unwelcome guests?
They were never invited to rest here.
I did not set the table or prepare a meal for these aches.
They insinuated themselves into my shoulders,
took up residence in my bones and said: Here we are.
They like to party, they love busy days. Crisis makes them dance.
Massage helps to settle them at the end of the day.
Silence and prayer send them packing: we will return, they promise.
When they return with their friends, I will meet them
and say: Thank you. You have helped me to understand:
the problems of the world were never meant to rest
on my shoulders.
They sigh, I shrug, my shoulders drop
and we rest.
About Wendy MacLean
Rev. Wendy MacLean is minister at Christ United Church, Lyn, Ont. This reflection is from CASA: An Experiment in Doing Church Online
