a prayer for George Floyd

I came to George Floyd Square to pray, I think. I’m not sure I know what that means as a non-theist, raised-Lutheran person. Derek Chauvin’s trial is coming soon and the promise (threat?) to close George Floyd Square after the trial is on my mind.

I don’t know how to pray. I know only the tiniest bit about intention setting. I have friends who are witches and can cast spells of protection and connection but I am not (yet?) one of them. But I felt compelled to go and be at George Floyd Square this afternoon. For George, for myself, for Minneapolis, for the future.

Here’s the prayer I found there:

• Be of use. A directive received during my brief visit to Standing Rock prayerful resistance camp in 2016, it showed up again today when I arrived at an otherwise quiet GFS as a caretaker was cleaning up the offerings that had been revealed by the melting snow. I asked if I could help her and took the time to ask her questions and listen to her answers as we plucked plastic flowers and snow-soaked stuffed animals from the March snow and incorporated the items back into the memorial.
• Light a candle even though it immediately blows out. Light it again.
• Set insight timer to play you “eternal stream” sounds while you force yourself to slow down and be in the moment.
• Weep. Squatted off to the side because the ground is soaked from the melting snow, let your tears rise up and out of your eyes. Sob into your mask since it’s still a pandemic.
• Try to fight off the urge to verbalize and analyze.
• Feel the sun on your eyelids and the spring breeze in your hair until your Insight Timer bell rings.
• Write your prayer in your journal.
• Only after all of this, allow yourself to take photos.

The collective prayer may get us closer to justice. The collective grief, protected in this way, may get us closer to humanity.

Rest in peace and power, Floyd.