First Tuesday in Lent

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’” Mark 1:14-15

oh,
we pray about it
we sing of it,
we hear talks about it,
and yet
there is that little hollow
deep in our souls
we think God can’t see,
where we hope against hope
that the community of God
does not come too near
for then
we would have to do more
than just dab ashes
on once a year, and
we would have to believe
that God’s neighborhood
is far better than where
we choose to hang out

© 2022 Thom M. Shuman