the dawn of an older age

May the Lord bless you
and keep you.
May God's face
shine upon you and
be gracious unto you.

May God give you the grace
never to sell yourself short;
grace to risk something big
for something good;
grace to remember that the
world is now too dangerous
for anything but truth and
too small for anything but love.

So, may God take your minds
and think through them;
may God take your lips
and speak through them;
may God take your hearts
and set them on fire.

Amen.


William Sloane Coffin
adapted by H. Stephen Shoemaker

for us all
on this historic day

and every day.