Interventions of Love
Shoulders by Naomi Shahib Nye
A man crosses a street in the rain,
stepping gently, looking two times north and south,
because his son is asleep on his shoulder.
No car must splash him.
No car drive too near to his shadow.
This man carries the world’s most sensitive cargo
but he’s not marked.
Nowhere does his jacket say FRAGILE,
HANDLE WITH CARE.
His ear fills up with breathing.
He hears the hum of a boy’s dream
deep inside him.
We’re not going to be able
To live in this world
If we’re not willing to do what he’s doing
with one another…
The road will only be wide.
The rain will never stop falling.
I recently spoke with Rev. Anita Farber-Robertson and Director of Religious Education Jill Hall of First Parish Cohasset about their month-long (February 2011) focus on bullying. They worked with the children in RE while adults explored the theme in worship services. I was moved by it’s emphasis on courage and love in response to cruelty and violence.
The poem Shoulders was a reading with a sermon called Interventions of Love given on February 27th. I think the poem resonated with me because of my strong urge to protect the most helpless and vulnerable from the ravages of poverty and injustice. I want to be that adult that hears and nurtures the “boy’s dreams”. Our need to protect our young is a primal instinct. It is central to our survival and the moral mission of Promise the Children.
Please read Rev Farber-Robertson’s sermons and let us know about any programs in your church that has taken on the issue of bullying.
Promise the Children is gathering information on anti-bullying resources and working on materials and programs for UU children. Visit Promise the Children’s ISSUES page on Bullying to learn more about bullying and some of the resources available to you and your church.
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