insomniac

"In the morning they did not recognize the land," Acts 27:39a

while we are dozing off

in front of our streaming apps

walk through our broken

communities and restore 

them with justice and hope,

while we are busy yelling

at all the memes and posts

on stomach-churning social media

whisper lullabies to children

who have been sleeping rough

as you carry them into the 

new homes you have built

in the moonless night,

while we are asleep 

dreaming of our fancy cars

our expensive vacations

our portfolios increasing

hand out the resources 

folks need to feed families,

pay for medicine, educate kids,

and know the life we have all too well,

so when we awake

we will not ken this place

called the Beloved Community.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

for

"'For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish;'" Mark 14:7a

for

since they make such

an easy target for the

pious and political hucksters,

for

since they have brought

their circumstances upon

themselves (so we are told

and so we believe),

for 

since they do not seem

able or willing to pull 

themselves up out of 

their misery and lot in life

(unlike those of us who

have spent all our lives

pulling up out of our 

comfortable cribs to embrace

our privileged lifestyles),

for 

since, however hard we try,

they refuse to go away 

as we so often wish and wish,

why

should should we ever

wish

to show them any kindness

at any moment of their lives?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

gate crasher

"'So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.'" Mark 13:29

when the forgotten

are remembered in the

hallways of politics,

when the food pantries

are closed down for good

because they are no longer

needed in the world,

when funeral poverty disappears

because the dead are treated

with the respect they deserve,

when injustice is posted

on the extinction list 

in every community,

when the pandemic of hate

comes to an end through

continued boosters of love,

then we know we no longer

need to keep waiting for our

knight riding a white horse

to appear in the distance, for

the Beloved Community has

thrown wide its gates.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo  @Thom-Shuman

chillblains

"King David was old and advanced in years; and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm." 1 Kings 1:1

when cruelty's Chillblains

slow me down in trying

to follow you with grace,

put your hand under my elbow

so i can keep trying.

when fear's frost settles

upon my heart and it begins

to creak and crack in the night,

warm it with Spirit's breath.

when the wintry grip of death

seems to want to never 

let go of my soul, swaddle me

in the shawl of resurrection hope

and place me in the cradle

of your abiding love.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

all day long

"Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;

   all day long foes oppress me;" Psalm 56:1

when we come 

to the end of this day,

may we look back and see

that when

folks stepped on our fingers

so they could get just

a bit higher on the ladder

to heaven,

you kissed our hands and 

swaddled them in your tears;

that when

folks knocked us into

the ditches by the side

of the road as they rushed

to get to the finish line first,

you picked us up, 

dusted us off, and bought

us brand new clothes

woven from hope and love;

that when

we felt the heavy boots

of fear, hate, and prejudice

crushing our spirits, 

you gathered them up

with the dust of creation

and reshaped us 

with your grace.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

Barzillai

"But Barzillai said to the king, 'How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? Today I am eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?'" 2nd Samuel 19:34-35

there may come that

day when food seems 

too bland to enjoy, so continue

to give me the manna of grace.

there may come that 

morning when the sweet tea

tastes like tap water, but

i hope you will still hold

the cup of hope to my lips.

there may come that evening

when the songs of my memory

can only be heard in the voices

of those learning them for the first time.

but until then,

may i remember that 

you never see me as a burden

but a blessing held in your heart.

(c) 2023 Thom M; Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

third commandment

"Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'" Mark 12:29-31

oh, 

and by the way,

love doesn't mean

you get to set the rules

for folks you don't like.

love doesn't mean 

you get to determine

whose heart can 

be joined to another's.

love doesn't mean

you know what is best

for everybody else.

love doesn't mean

you get to bully folks

whose lives and choices

are not like yours.

God doesn't see anyone

as unclean or unholy.

God's love is more than enough

for you, for me, for everyone.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman 

who, indeed!

"O LORD, who may abide in your tent? 

   Who may dwell on your holy hill?" Psalm 15:1

like the tent at

the World Quidditch Match,

your dwelling place seems

to be able (and willing) 

to offer accommodations

for everyone (with room to spare),

and when you fed

those thousands on the grass

long, long ago, we realized

that it is the hungry and the hopeful,

the forgotten and the frenetic,

the lonely and the loving families,

the faithful and the foolish,

the ones we know as well as

the ones known only to you

who gather on the hill made holy

by your selfless love.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

unthroned

"To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!"  Psalm 123:1

we do not need 

a Webb or Hubble

to find you in the heavens,

but, if we open our eyes,

we will see you

in the little child sharing

a sandwich with the 

rough sleeper on the bench,

we will notice you

(just out of the corner

of our eye, if we are quick)

listening to the same story

your aging neighbor has told

you a hundred times before,

we will observe you 

quietly bringing justice 

to those forgotten by the

powerful and the politicians

who are too busy posturing

for the cameras and offering 

sound bites quickly dismissed

after the votes are counted.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

(with delight, to be honest)

"Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;" Mark 11:15

though we imagine

(with delight, to be honest)

you picking up a whip

and using it in that moment,

maybe it was that simple

withering look of disappointment

(like my mother often had)

that got the folks to pack up

and skedaddle.

though we hear 

(with delight, to be honest)

your loud, angry voice 

piling umbrage upon all

those knuckleheads in that place,

maybe it was simply 

the crack in your voice 

as it broke, while staring 

around at the desecration

that made them back away.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

cherry pickers

"'You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.'" John 5:39-40

we practice and practice

our Biblical sword drills

so we can skewer those

we are sure are knuckleheads,

we memorize and memorize

obscure verses so we can

trot them out to defend you

against all those folks 

we label as sinners,

we highlight and underline

the passages even you 

are embarrassed that folks

claim come straight from

your very heart,

that

we miss out on the

life of grace, compassion,

justice, and inclusion 

you long to offer to

everyone.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

promise kept

"'If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”  Mark 11:3

the donkey came wandering

back later in the day, riderless,

a little less active than earlier,

with a slightly dazed look in its eyes,

and a blanket of grace

across its back to shawl its people

from the chill of death,

a palm branch woven in its bridle 

to be used as a broom to sweep

away fear's dust floating in the air,

and

a quick note from Jesus, 'much appreciated.

i'll be back to thank you in person

before you even realize i am gone.'

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

live sound tech

“‘Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” Mark 10:48

while we are turning
around shushing those

at the back of society,

while we are telling

the forgotten to passively

accept their situation,

while we are searching

for duct tape to cover 

the mouths of young people

crying out for the creation,

you

are setting up the biggest

speakers you have,

sound checking the mics

so they work properly,

and just itching to crank

up the volume knob

on the audio console 

until everyone pays attention.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

to an unknown psalmist

"The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;

    let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
   righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him,
   and consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
   the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
   before the Lord of all the earth. Psalm 97:1-5

in the mist drifting over

lakes and prairie meadows,

i sense the One in control.

the passion of young people

for all creation, and the justice

old folks have been seeking 

all their lives are woven together

for the hammock in grace's backyard.

late at night, the stars twinkle 

the compassion so steady that

cruelty will eventually fade away.

fireflies float on a summer evening

illuminating the imagination 

of little children who giggle and wiggle

as they try to catch them.

the pedestals we build for our

clay-footed celebrity idols melt

under the withering gaze 

of the Love which only has eyes

for the forgotten.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman 

that one thing

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” Mark 10:21

when the 

one thing 

is my heart 

already betrothed to

fear

power

adulation

worry

seduction . . .

how can i sell

something which

is already mortgaged

far too many times?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

mud pies and shooting stars

“‘Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’” Mark 10:15

instead of grumbling about 

the sudden rain coming 

and messing up our carefully

arranged layers of soil,

may we find that lost joy

of making mud pies,

as we sit on the deck

in evening's shadows

fidgeting with our devices,

may we gaze up and

rediscover the wonders

of stars racing across the sky.

when we unclench our 

hearts filled with anger,

may we reach out for

the hands of little children

who will lead us back 

into your Community of 

life.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

promised land

“Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.” Psalm 5:1

gathering up our sighs,

you build a bridge 

where we can breathe

a whisper of hope as

we cross over the river

flooded with our tears

and into that promised land

called Steadfast Grace of God.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

behold!

"So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

    beholding your power and glory." Psalm 63:2

i have sat in the quire 

of a great cathedral listening

to gentle voices of grace

and

heard you singing lullabies 

to little children cradled 

in their mothers' arms 

in hospital rooms.

i have wandered around

thin places where you tear

the between undiscovered galaxies

and those whose DNA includes stardust

and 

shadowed you as you

take the hands of the lonely

and walk with them until

they step over into your grace.

i have seen your power 

in thunderstorms shaking

the summits of mountains

and 

discovered your brokenness

among the ashes of communities

destroyed by wildfires. 

even as i

behold your glory

i am held in your

grace.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

music

“Let them praise his name with dancing,
   making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.”
Psalm 149:3

thinking the symphony 

of creation calls only for 

human shaped instruments,

we ignore the deep bass

of the bullfrog by the pond,

the scratching of a bear's

back against a tree,

the slithering of snakes

through a meadow's grass,

the rubbing together of

the edges of crickets' wings,

the whispers on the wind

caused by hawks gliding

in the sky above us.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

out of Sheol

"The snares of death encompassed me; 

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish." Psalm 116:3

i was lonely

and you could have

let me tag along by your side.

but you nudged me 

to take one hesitant step

then a more hopeful one,

unclenching my hands 

to reach out to those

even lonelier, to form a community.

i was broken

and you might have sent

all your angels and archangels

to put me back together

and set me back on my wall.

but you let the hurts of others

seep in through the cracks

of my heart like morning light

so together we could become

stained glass windows of healing.

i could not find the words

to tell others of what was

going on inside, the struggles,

the fears, the worries all

swirling together,

and you could have handed

me a dictionary or thesaurus.

but you put a a pad on my lap 

and a pen in my hand, and whispered,

'dip it in the cauldron of your soul

and begin to write, simply write.'

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Mephibosheth

“The king said, ‘Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?’” 2 Samuel 9:3a

intent on making sure

those who do not act

the way we think they should

are told off in no uncertain terms

we may not notice 

how they hunger for words

of grace and hope,

so busy gathering up

all the stones we can find

to be ready to hurl them

towards those who break

every rule we make up 

for them (but not us) to follow,

we may miss our chance

to build bridges across

the abyss of fear 

we have dug with our 

own hearts.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

influencers

"Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;

   the faithful have disappeared from humankind."  Psalm 12:1

the polls might convince us

that the knuckleheads

are about to consolidate

their hold on people's hearts,

social media makes it appear

that snark is trending far better

than simple compassion for others,

our devices blow up 

with all sorts of reels which

popularize cruelty and ridicule.

but

if we look closely,

we will see the faithful

plugging away for justice,

the gentle cradling the

broken,

love continuing to finish

ahead of hate, and you

mentoring those wise enough

to pay attention.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

sometimes

"How long will you assail a person,

  will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?"  Psalm 62:3

sometimes,

it is not a big

piece of wood 

which inflicts pain

but the keyboard

on our device.

sometimes,

it is not a right hook

to the jaw which 

knocks a person down,

but our finger pointing

at them while we talk

behind their back.

sometimes,

it is not the meanest

junkyard dog which 

scares people silly

but that righteous,

compassionate believer

convinced their words

are all another person 

needs for healing, rather

than a gentle touch.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

homesteading

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'”  Psalm 122:1

sitting in the corner

watching the other folks

tapping on their devices

reading a book or sitting in silence,

with a quick top up 

from the barista and a

short chat about life

in the packed theater

of parents and bored kids

overwhelmed by pink

and challenged to think

in the midst of laughter

and piercing of prejudices

at the rally supporting 

one of my deepest concerns

as the songs and talks

resound around and within us

as we are surrounded by strangers

we think we have known all our lives,

we find ourselves 

at home with you

in so many places

we never dared imagine

that first morning 

we were wrapped in

stained glass filtered light

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

crumbs

"But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'" Mark 7:28

we will meet those

the rest of the world

steps out of the way

to avoid at all cost,

we will hear 

the whispers of loneliness

of the people huddling

in their homes and hearts,

we will be challenged

to release those beliefs,

prejudices, and faiths

we clutch so tight in our fists,

if we but follow

the trail of grace crumbs

God has left in the world

just as you did.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

breakfast

"Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,

    for in you I put my trust."  Psalm 143:8

we stumble down to the table,

ready for another bowl

of pity's porridge, a cup 

of tepid tedium, a cold piece

of toast with curdled bitter

slapped all over it to start

our day the usual way,

but

then you put down a plate

piled with crisp compassion,

a hope and justice omelet,

a steaming cup of love

with a heaping spoonful of grace,

and we know we can handle

whatever awaits us 

as we head out the door.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

clueless

“for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:52

compassion shrivels up

and drifts away as

our hearts become callused

by indifference,

kindness is left behind

as we rush to gather up

more privilege in our arms,

grace becomes a commodity

to be sold to the highest bidder

rather than being placed

in the basket labeled 'free'

and you shake your head

and weep as you realize

we still do not discern 

who you are and what

you are all about.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

border crossing

“During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” Acts 16:9

at the edge of fear,

wondering if we dare

put our toes in the water

to test if they will hold us.

on the cliffs overlooking

the abyss of the future,

thinking about how far down

down it is, if we miss our step.

on the border of polarization,

doubting that anything we

might say or do could build

bridges to the other side,

we could choose to ignore

those who are calling for help

or we can become illegal migrants

carrying grace, hope, and justice

on our back as we take that first

step.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman