I spend so much of my time
inviting people to breathe.
Teaching that breath and spirit are the same word,
across languages,
across time;
that God breathes the Spirit that is Life,
the very breath of our lungs.
I spend so much of my time
reminding myself to breathe,
that my body can do this,
that my mind can do this:
Breathe.
But now,
we must be careful with our breaths,
not knowing what they might carry.
And now,
another voice gasps out, "I can't breathe."
Another spirit silenced.
And I tell myself,
"Just breathe."
And I worry about what the word means.
And I wonder at this call:
To take the next breath,
so that our breaths may be the Spirit,
the Spirit that makes a world,
a world where everyone can breathe.