September 4th

“So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?” James 4:12b

i find it all too easy
to pull out that splintered mirror
i carry in my little bag of tricks,
so i can show another
all the cracks in their soul,
or to mark their growth
(and especially lack of)
on that door frame of my
hardened heart.
but you come along,
with your mending hands,
your healing whisper,
your mercy instead of retribution,
to remind us that rather
than passing a verdict
on any other person,
we should let go of that gavel
and hold our neighbor’s hand
in grace.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman