First, a haiku of hope:

The beams from moonset
Meet rays from the new day's star
A crossfire of hope

Planet citizens
Sharing water, air and more
Peace in this moment

A friend from church called me the evening of February 26th. She was looking for a song about the golden rule - the topic of our guest speaker's upcoming sermon. After searching songbooks and folk albums and not coming up with a single song about being a good neighbor, I was inspired to write new words to the old song "Wayfaring Stranger."

I awoke the next morning to a beautiful day in my neighborhood on Newton Street, but also to the sad news that Fred Rogers had died in the night. Mister Rogers: the only true voice of civility, kindness and love in all of television. Every detail of every program carried the message of loving yourself and loving your neighbor. His spirit had slipped into the new lyrics. Here they are, so you can sing them, too.

The New Wayfaring Stranger

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world of greed
Where some have none, they starve and stumble
While others horde more than they need.
* I'm going home to help my neighbor
I'm going home to do my part
Love depends on peace and justice
Peace begins in my own heart.

Storm clouds may all around us gather
And turn bright day to darkest night
With courage we will walk together
And make our way back to the light
*
Are you a poor wayfaring stranger,
Lost in this world you're traveling through?
To find a path, do unto others
As you'd have them do unto you
*
words - ©2003 Dan Berggren