Another Galaxy in the Universe...RIP Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison 

18 February, 1931-5 August, 2019

We die. That may be the meaning of life. 

But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives. 

—Toni Morrison—

Thank you for your language.  The measure you shared is an everlasting gift.

There is another star added to the galaxy, or perhaps even more so, another galaxy added to the universe.  The Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison has died.  The above quotation of hers is a favourite and it sparked this reflection...

And whether that measure be short or long, I pray it may it be dense with language...with languages.

The language of inclusion...sweeping vistas of hope and broad benches of welcome at tables laden with enough...if we share. 

The language of freedom that speaks of the right to leave that person, place, or situation which is unsafe and settle in a new place to begin anew; Syllables of freedom that write the poetry of reality’s expression—whether hip hop, slam, or sonnet, novel, short story, or tweet. The language of each being made in the image and likeness of God.

The language of dignity that honours the questions and curiosities, the asymmetrical, the quirky, the different, and the not understood; The language of patience and of peaceable disagreement.

The language of beauty, of art and creativity. The language that knows the value of silence, study, space, and contemplation. The language of the inside and of insight...of science and music, sculpture, dance, archeology, math, the language that knows the saving power of a story well-told.

The language of love. Of love, of love, of love. Love that is a difficult honour and the language that is glazed in strength and fired in the light no darkness can overcome. The language that speaks of the good for those in love; that describes the good for the community because they are in love; The language of love that recognizes joy and can sit the night with unfathomable mystery because it never forgets how to imagine sunrise.

Let my language be dense, let it be rich, and let me share the wealth of my Word while I still have my breath...spending it all with as much elegant simplicity as possible.