it's time for the benediction
as a former Catholic I relish the quasi-heretical opportunity to be handing out benedictions
but actually
hierarchies have to rely on tradition alone for support, and tradition's only any good when it nurtures
I want to repeat that part because it's important. tradition's only any good when it nurtures
some of us, not naming names but at least one of them looks like me, have been through times when our traditions not only no longer nurtured anything good within us, but were actually our enemies
yet did we continue to observe our traditions, because, you know, at least we had that going for us, right? right right
friends if you're hearing Franklin Bruno's glorious piano riff in your head right now then I thank you for singing "this year" with us 64 or 65 times this year. every time we play it I'm amazed and humbled
so in your honor my prayer for you all tonight is:
may the traditions of this year that no longer nurtured you all die at midnight
may their memory next year and in the years to come be complex and may it grow blurry
may we persevere carrying the banner of those we could not bring with us into the full splendor of our perseverance
I am silent here to remember their names for a moment
may we do them all proud
long live the traditions worth living through
THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, WHO BREAK OPEN THE AMPULE THAT HOLDS OUR SONG IN YOUR FIRST AID KITS TONIGHT. IT MEANS THE WORLD AND WE HOPE TO BE WORTHY OF IT
/happy new year
