August 29th

"What shall I return to the Lord
for all his bounty to me?" Psalm 116:12

we joyfully testify how
you have not withheld anything,
not a single thing (!) from us,

but then turn around and show

we are truly Scrooge's children

when someone knocks on our door.

we keep 'liking' all the social

media stuff about how God

wants us to care for each

and every person we encounter,

but then put disclaimers like,

unless they are lazy,

or they drive a better car

than we think they deserve,

or they might be addicts 

(or worse) who would not be

good stewards of the meager

funds, dusty can from the 

back of our kitchen cabinets,

or the frayed clothes that we

would be too embarrassed

to be seen wearing in public.

Is it irony?

Is it hubris?

Is it our ingrained assumption

that you make the same 

judgments of folks we do?

Or that we just remain clueless

as to who you really are, 

even after all this time?

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman