November Tuesday

It feels like church: sacred, moving.
Gathering at the temple/precinct with my neighbors
I say hello to the greeter, am known, identified.
I receive my order of service, the ovals to fill in.
My neighbors and I come here because we, the people, have work to do.
This is our liturgy, “the work of the people.”

Many of us have studied the scripture
The lectionary prescribes:
Press articles, candidate records and statements.
We are ready for worship.

I enter the confessional booth,
Put down the paper,
Bring my palms together,
Breathe,
Feel the touch of god.

I am aware of my expansive vastness,
My tiny smallness,
And the sacrament before me,
This paper wafer transubstantiated body politic of christ,
This marker-ink wine, the black blood of the people, chosen, choosing.

I know the math.
The chance I’ll die in a traffic accident driving to the polls
is hundreds of times greater
than the chance any candidate I vote for will win by one vote.
Determining an outcome cannot be the reason to take this communion.
A vote is a prayer.

I cast my ballot bread crumb upon the waters,
Causing no one’s victory or defeat,
Joining with something larger,
Participating in the infinity of history,
Lifted out of myself into the shared soul of
Millions of voters,
Billions of humans on the planet,
All life that ever was or ever will be.
World without end amen.
Amen.

Originally: Gainesville, FL, 2008.11.16
Tweaked a bit and numbers updated, every couple years, 2008-2020