Like I was with Mary Oliver and John O’Donohue, I am come lately to fantasy and science fiction. Thanks to my son, I’ve discovered a short list of writers in that genre I really enjoy: John Scalzi, Stephen Donaldson, Ian Banks, and my current favorite, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Although marketed as Young Adult fiction, I loved reading her Earthsea series. An epic saga of wizards, magic, dragons, and kingdoms, one of the premises of the books is the idea that each of us has a “true” name – an appellation that holds our real essence – that is never used casually.
The protagonist of the Earthsea series is the wizard Ged, the greatest mage of all time, who, in order to survive and save the realm from an apocalyptic life-and-death conflict, reveals his true name.
I see distinct parallels between Ged’s struggle and our present reality. The Covid-19 pandemic is a world-wide apocalyptic event. And just as it was for Ged, with every act we take – or don’t – every word we speak, our true names – our real selves – are being revealed.
Draw us out, Holy One.
Beyond the singular and superficial,
Beyond misplaced complacency,
Beyond fear and panic,
Beyond hoarding and toilet paper hysteria.
Draw us out – the real us – and remind us who we are:
Your Creation, whose true name is beloved child of God.
Remind us, too, Sacred Presence, what we’re made of.
For as You are, you fashioned us, and
crafted in Your image, we are, at our core, like you:
Breath of heaven. Stardust and moonlight.
Love and Grace. Mercy and Peace. Forgiveness and Compassion.
Wisdom and Kindness. Justice and Truth.
Created for good,
May we live that way, offering
light as we are able, in these dark days.
Fan the flame of our innate creativity,
that in the midst of chaos we may find
ways to care well for one another and your creation.
May you, Most High, be our
refuge, our strength, our fortress in
these virulent days.
Show us your salvation.
Holding you in my heart, Dear Reader, and keeping you in my prayers.