This Is About All of Us

(Jeremiah 9:1, NRSV) O that my head were a spring of water,
and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night
for the slain of my poor people!

At first, when the weeping started,
I could only see images of Trayvon,
In his hoodie,
Barely able to shave
Eyes clear and full of the future
Toting skittles and some tea
Back to watch the game.

But later, when the weeping would not stop
I saw and heard
Children of many races and faces
Proceeding in rapid succession
Too many to number, too many to mourn properly
And the weeping would not, could not
Stop.

Not until I was willing to admit
that this is about all of us.

Today it is about a black child
Tomorrow it could be your child
With some strangely-protected-by-the-police person
Cowering in the shadows of Ghostland
Claiming the right to take her life.

This is about all of us!

God help us all!
Amen.