June 13th

"Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there" Luke 19:45

we immediately begin
to clap and cheer as
Jesus clears out
the privileged from their head tables,
the narcissists waiting
for their parade to pass by,
the powerful who sell their souls
for fancy airplanes and bigger portfolios.
but
then as he turns and notices
us
sitting at our tables
piled high with dogmas and doctrines,
our fancy brochures for seminars
on nothing-but-growth promised,
our books that guarantee
the sort of prosperity which will
us the envy of all our friends,
the new and improved faith
based on that old monasticism,
we see that glint in his eyes
and the twitch in his fingers
and start to sweat . . .

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman