Dear Friends,
We pray you are safe and well.
Today's Meditation presents the loving memory of a life-sustaining ritual that still fortifies life and love: "reminding us why we are and whose we are."
We invite you to join us as we commit ourselves to working tirelessly to end systemic and structural racism in our society, in healthcare, in the workplace, in the Church--wherever it shows up so that everyone may come to have more abundant life. May this meditation nourish our contemplative-active hearts and sustain all of us in action.
In the spirit of our philosophy of co-creating community and our awareness that the Spirit speaks through each of us, we invite you to share your meditations with us as well. We truly believe that in God’s economy of abundance, when we share our blessings, our thoughts, our feelings, we are all made richer.
We hope and pray that you and your loved ones experience genuine peace of mind and heart, and remain in good health during this challenging time.
In this time of Lenten Pilgrimage may you find peace, healing, hope, and the infusion of joy in your life!
With our love and care,
Ron & Jean
Meditation 299: "Anointed" by Marchae Grair
Daily Devotional
March 7, 2021
Anointed
Marchaé Grair
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. - Psalm 23:5b (KJV)
When I was in elementary school, my grandma watched my sister and me walk to the bus stop every morning. Before we left, she asked us to hold hands with her in the kitchen as she prayed for us. As we grabbed hands, she anointed our heads with oil.
As we said our “Amens” after the prayer, I scrambled to wipe the oil from my head. I was embarrassed by it. Other children weren’t so subtle in letting me know that it was weird to have a streak of oil running down my face.
It has taken decades for me to really appreciate the significance of that morning ritual. Back then, I didn’t realize the importance of a Black elder speaking to God, asking for protection for Black children in a world that hates them. I didn’t understand that anointing me was my grandmother’s way of both acknowledging she would do anything she could to protect her grandchildren and that she had no control over what happened when we left her sight.
Every time I pray, I feel connected to the Spirit of God through the rituals my grandma passed on to me. Ritual has a way of reminding us why we are and whose we are. My grandma’s anointing has stayed with me, marking me with grace that will never leave me. She has been gone for years now, but the touch of that oil and her prayers still fill my cup every day.
Prayer
Somebody prayed for me. Had me on her mind. Took the time and prayed for me. I’m so glad they prayed for me.
John Edgerton
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marchaé Grair is a spiritual director, facilitator, and the Communications Director at Black Lives of Unitarian Universalism. Follow her work at marchae.com.