i wonder

"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake." Matthew 13:1

what would have happened

if you could have just

sat there watching the waves

and slowly recharging your batteries?

would you have changed any

thing or said something different

if you had been left alone 

to just skip stones 

across the water with only

your thoughts on your mind?

might your friends have understood

the Beloved Community you offered

if they had seen it built 

like sand castles on the shore,

rather hear a parable which

seemed out of place next 

to a lake teeming with fish?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

family

"But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?'” Matthew 12:48

my mother?

the single woman

juggling school, 2 jobs,

kids (one with disabilities),

the ridicule of neighbors.

my sibling?

the older citizen 

having to go back

to work in their 70's

because the investment firm

misspent their pension.

my grandchildren?

all those young people

demanding, with ever

increasing concern and fear,

a change in how creation is treated.

my family?

every one, any one,

with dreams turned to ashes,

with losses too overwhelming,

with loneliness so unbearable.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo:  @Thom-Shuman

just stop with all the questions

"Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he said, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?'” Luke 10:25

well,

for starters, we 

might stop obsessing

about the other side

of grace, and share 

justice with others.

we could end all speculating

and notice the folks sitting

on street corners and 

in building doorways, who

are longing for another life.

we can quit thinking

it is all about us and 

our end game and 

come off the bench 

to relieve those who 

are working three jobs.

finally, we could simply

put away all our silly

questions, and get on

with the task of being 

part of the Beloved Community

rather than waiting for it

to fall into our laps.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

wordie

"'I tell you, on the day of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter;'" Matthew 12:36

may my words

never be sticks

which leave welts

on the souls of another

but be used to build

fires where we can sit

and tell stories of hope

as we gorge ourselves

on s'mores and hot chocolate.

may my words

not ever become stones

which build walls between

those i am called to love

but become paving blocks

for us to walk

the paths of peace.

may my words 

always strengthen 

the spirits of others

and

may they not become

the means by which

i tear down myself.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

pitted

"I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; 

    I am like those who have no help,
like those forsaken among the dead,
   like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
   for they are cut off from your hand."  Psalm 88:4-5

for all i have tossed aside

as easily as a discarded apple core.

for all whom i slammed a door

(real or imagined) in their face.

for all i have wished 

a life worse than death and

those for whom i would not

offer a shoulder to roll away the stone.

for all whose name i have forgotten

and would not take any medicine

or courses to improve my memory.

and for those i would not

offer a hand to pull to safety,

Lord, 

have mercy on me.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

until we are full

"I am the LORD your God, 

   who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10

fill our bitter souls

with words of peace

so we may speak 

healing to those around us.

fill our empty hearts

with endless compassion

so we may whisper kindness

in the ears of the vulnerable.

fill our hollow lives

with grace which has no end

so we may become the friends

the forgotten and lonely need.

fill us . . . 

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

the butler???

"Listen, I will tell you a mystery!" 1 Corinthians 15:51a

like Sherlock Holmes,

you walk the foggy streets

of our fearful hearts,

identifying our brokenness

by the ashes of our tears

and knowing who we are

simply by examining

the calluses on our souls

and the stubs of the tickets

to Tarshish in our pockets.

yet while all we understand

about the ultimate Mystery

is that our last breath 

will come when we least expect,

you know 

that death met its end

by your abundant grace

in the tomb 

with resurrection love.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

now if

"Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead?" 1 Corinthians 15:12

now if

we spend so much

time, energy, words,

and ink on paper debating

various theories of THE

death.

now if

we try to figure 

this enigmatic mystery

with biology, logic, 

chemistry or even 

common sense.

now if

we go to the very

edge of faith, and

yet are hesitant 

to take that great leap

(which is really 

a simple step across

a very thin place),

well,

what are we trying to

say?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

but since

"When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, 'Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?'” Matthew 11:2-3

but

since you seem 

to expect us to truly

care for the most vulnerable

rather than the most powerful,

since you keep 

pushing us to forgive

more times than there

are fingers on our hands,

since you are so concerned

that we be willing to set aside

our privilege so the poor 

might become haves just like us,

you might not understand

why we often wait for God

to become incarnated in

someone more like us,

someone more to our liking.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

rewarded?

"'and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple — truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.'" Matthew 10:42

what reward

might we expect

when we use up 

so much water for lawns,

pools, 8-headed showers,

while little kids still

must drink from faucets

polluted with all sorts 

of chemicals we can't

even pronounce?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

fearless

"'So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.'" Matthew 10:31

though the media and public

are Swift to melt down

all the sales and adulation

to turn singers into golden

calves we can worship,

though the knuckleheads

in power cannot seem to govern

themselves much less figure out

how to bring about peace

and justice throughout the world,

though the ranters and mockers

always seem to get the air time

and sound bites denied 

to the angels of compassion,

yet we will not fear

for you value us above

all the knuckleheads,

the ranters and mockers,

the golden calf enablers.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

enough!

"Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, 

    for we have had more than enough of contempt." Psalm 123:3

when we have all

the grudges our souls

can ever hold, show us

how to compost them 

into gardens of grace.

when we have had 

our fill of hate towards other,

plant seeds of love 

deep within us, so they

might become bouquets

of welcome rather than

arrangements at funerals.

when others would show

us the path through the

quicksand of contempt,

take us by the hand

to the detour compassion offers.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

loverly

1 Corinthians 13

i can know love 

in every language, but

if i don't give it away,

i am lost in translation.

if i could tell what is

going to happen tomorrow 

or know all the quiz show answers

or am smarter than Stephen Hawking

but simply cannot love, i am clueless.

if i live off the grid and

leave no carbon footprint,

but i refuse to walk in love,

i am a poor role model in life.

love will wait, however long it might be.

love chooses gentleness over aggression.

love does not want what you have,

is not narcissistic,

won't push others away,

and refuses to be mean.

love does not cut in line,

won't chase you off its lawn,

never carries a grudge.

love doesn't do cartwheels

over another's legal troubles

and won't share fake news.

love yokes itself to the struggling,

listens without judging to pain-filled stories,

believes the best in others,

will never give up or give in.

love can never not be love.

sound bytes will be forgotten,

the latest scam rooted out,

the best-selling book 

will soon gather dust.

we are still in preschool

just learning love's language,

but soon we will be

as fluent as anyone else.

i look in the mirror and

see only my loneliness

but one day, the Beloved

Community will be there,

gathered all around me.

even though i take baby steps,

the day will come when i realize

love has been that beat in my heart

from my very first breath.

faith is so tenacious.

hope is incredibly persistent.

and love?

love is too damn stubborn

to ever give up.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

?s

"But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." 1 Corinthians 12:31

in all the clamor

for war, revenge,

justice, defense,

could it be that

peacemaking 

might be a better way?

with all the polarization,

the fracturing of families,

friends, nations into 

angry camps of bitterness,

could it be that

reconciliation 

is the harder journey?

might it be that

when imaginary lines

are drawn down the middle

of families, churches, communities,

even in our hearts,

being willing to step across

and embrace the others

simply, and hopefully, be

the greater gift we can offer?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

friggatriskaidekaphobia

"In the path where I walk 

    they have hidden a trap for me." Psalm 142:3b

that ladder i usually

step around on days

like this one? may i

grab it to go work on

a house for a family

living in their car.

that black kitten

crossing the street

towards me? may i

pick it up and cradle it

as i take it home with me.

that mirror i am afraid

of breaking? may i look 

deeply into it and see

those who have been

shattered by my indifference

so i can go and become

a better friend.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

highfalutin

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, my siblings, I do not want you to be uninformed." 1 Corinthians 12:1

remind us, Tender One,

that not every spiritual

gift is a highfalutin one.

the gift of napping

calls to mind keeping

the sabbath every day.

the gift of solitude 

is modeled for us by

the very One we follow.

the gift of wonder

is shown to us in 

every baby whose eyes

delight in everything around them.

the gift of gratitude 

is as simple as a prayer

over a hurried lunch and

a whispered 'thank you'

before closing our eyes

and resting in your grace.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

all seeing

"The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind." Psalm 33:13

you sit there,

broken-hearted God,

your head in your hands

and tears running down your cheeks

as you wonder (once again)

why we only care 

for the brokenness of the world

when the hostilities break out,

we only notice the kids

slipping deeper into poverty

as they hide behind their parents

seeking food and shelter at night,

we only look up for you

when we realize we have screwed

things up so much, we need help

we would never ask for 

in a million years.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

hankering

"As a deer longs for flowing streams, 

    so my soul longs for you, O God."  Psalm 42:1

as the aging cat

lies in the same spot

(even on driech days)

where the sunbeam 

has a daily appointment with it.

as the dog jumps

into the back seat 

on crisp, autumn days

and stares at the window

until its best friend 

buzzes it down.

as a parent sits 

in the darkened room

waiting for the teenager's

car to pull into the driveway

after an evening out,

so i hanker for you,

God of my aching soul.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

may i

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD," 2 Kings 21:1-2a

rather than the anger

i could speak to others,

may i whisper kindness.

instead of the hurt

i might inflict on another,

may i bathe them in

the healing balm of hope.

before i would judge someone

simply because they are not me,

may i listen to their story and

even more carefully to their soul.

in place of resentment which

could fester into bitterness

and fill my cup with evil,

may i dip my hands in the fountain

of living waters and drink deeply.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

depthless

"But those who seek to destroy my life
   shall go down into the depths of the earth;" Psalm 63:9

when the angry voices

try to fuel my own, 

may i whisper hope.

when the carvers of grudges

want to sculpt my image,

may i choose forgiveness.

when the purveyors of prejudice

offer me reduced prices on their stock,

may i invest in justice.

when hate seeks to plant itself

deep into my soul,

may i become a field for your

seeds of love you sprinkle

over me every day.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

in the ring

"So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;" 1 Corinthians 9:26

it doesn't matter

how many punches,

jabs, crosses i throw,

that heavy bag of my grudges

just hangs there taking every blow.

i try to improve my relationships

with others working out on

cooperation's speed bag,

but when i walk away, i slip on 

my mask and become a lone ranger.

i spend a lot of time shadow boxing

with the Evil One, trying for a KO,

but the wily devil keeps slipping away.

but i will keep coming to your gym

hoping that one day, one day, 

it will all come together.

i hope.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

marked

"If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?" Psalm 130:3

we could not 

unless,

like Cain,

you cover us with a rainbow

promising never to abandon us,

you give us a sign that

though we are wandering

far from you we are not alone,

you have tattooed a part

of your name on our soul

even though others despise us,

you remember us

even when everyone else

has deleted us from their contacts.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

the gate

'"For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.'" Matthew 7:14

could it be

we make the road

harder than it need be

by walking it on 

our own terms?

could it be that 

the gate becomes

narrower and narrower

the more calories of

pride we consume?

could it be that more

may find the gate if

we are willing to join

that Beloved Community

rather than searching alone?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

rise up!

“'Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,

    I will now rise up,' says the LORD;
'I will place them in the safety for which they long.'”  Psalm 12:5

because the media 

drools over celebrities

more than the vulnerable,

because the powerful

spend every moment trying

to accumulate even more influence,

because the wealthy

push aside the forgotten

to enrich their portfolios,

because those who should

do not care that more and

more children are trapped in poverty,

i will drag you out of your beds

so you will fix breakfast for

the truly hungry, not folks whose

last meal was 10 hours ago,

i will throw clothes on you

so you can go out and guard

the children who are frightened,

i will pull you to your feet

so you will walk until they ache

as you journey with those whose

search for hope and justice

is still on-going.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

follow the road

"Truly God is good to the upright, 

    to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
   my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant;
   I saw the prosperity of the wicked."  Psalm 73:1-3

the narcissists get all the press,

and so we think we should

become more self-absorbed.

the knuckleheads get movie deals

which just put more money 

in their already stuffed pockets

and so we feel we should

try to do more shocking things.

and so, slowly, like a dripping

faucet which resists tightening,

we drift further and further

away from you, as we skip down

that road paved with envy's green bricks.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman