It’s the People

It’s the people,

In all our rich diversity,

Who make this planet,

This global village,

The wondrous place it is.

The natural wonders of the earth,

In all their splendor -

Water, clouds, mountains, trees, valleys, islands, meadows -

Are most evident; each element of this sacred creation,

A reflection of divine beauty.

So it is with us,

In all our rich diversity,

Each person, an element of sacredness,

A reflection of divine beauty.

For every life-affirming vista

From the summit of a majestic mountain,

There is an equally inspiring and affirming

Recognition of sacredness and wonder

In each human face

We gaze consciously and respectfully upon.

It’s the people,

In all our rich diversity,

Who make wherever we are

On this shimmering globe

The center of the world.

It’s the people,

In all our rich diversity,

Who make this planet

The garden we thought we had left

But have been sharing all along.

It’s all the people,

Each and every one of us,

Who make up –

In our fullness, beauty, strength, and unity –

The human family.

Robert Atkinson, Fall 2002