& also with you
by Laura Checkett, March 25, 2023
a return to love
to guide us forward
in this time; in this moment
for this time; for this moment
to love
to see
to know
to be in community with each other
with those who we don’t understand
& also with those who don’t
understand us
with those who feel familiar
& also with those who feel different
even in our struggle
and also with our struggle
even in our pain
and also with our pain
peace be with you
& also with you.
In the liturgy of the church, we have this greeting. One person says, “The Lord be with you,” or some similar phrase. And the group replies, “And also with you.” There are some for whom this response is so deeply ingrained in their hearts, speaking it aloud is almost habitual.
I have always loved this greeting, in particular for the profound solidarity it expresses. The greeting says, in four simple words, that we belong together, connected by the mystical bonds of grace made known in the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.
“Solidarity is a unity that requires something of us,” writes Cole Arthur Riley. It is more than just hospitality or tolerance. It is a unity that stands up for each one in the community, no matter what.
The Lord is indeed with you … and also with you.
