Illuminate the welders in shipyards with the brilliance of their torches.
Let the crane operator lift up his arm for joy.
Let the elevators creak and speak, ascending and descending in awe.
Let the mercy of the flower’s direction beckon in the eye.
Let the straight flower bespeak its purpose in straightness—to seek the light.
Let the crooked flower bespeak its purpose in crookedness—to seek the light.
Let the crookedness and the straightness bespeak the light.
— Allen Ginsberg (1926-1997)
In our evening and morning prayers, we twice daily ask God to continue to illuminate our lives with light. As our tradition celebrates God’s creation and the ongoing gift of light in our world, so too did Jewish poet Allen Ginsburg reflect on the gift of light even in the smallest spaces.
Today, seek light in places that you may not normally notice it. When we open our eyes fully, especially on days when the world might seem dark, we connect to the Source of all light and life. The renewal of light every single morning is our daily reminder of goodness, hope, and ongoing creation.
— Cantor Emma Lutz