December 10th

“The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted." Matthew 23:11-12

the shadows grow longer
than our patience in these shorter days,
but Jesus slips in, cupped hands holding a candle,
whispering that greatness
comes not in strident boasting
but in quiet kneeling with a towel and basin.
not in the bright lights of celebrity
but in the shadows, talking with
the rough sleepers in the wee hours.
this is the upside-down promise
Advent brings to us
that those left in the dust of power
we are to carry
to meet a tiny baby,
that the humble who ignore
the seat at the head table
will find their true place
in the straw-lined streets of Bethlehem.
hile others try to find
the tallest ladders of privilege,
may we walk past them,
taking those insignificant steps
toward the grieving,
toward the lonely,
toward the broken,
toward the feeding trough—
guided by the star of humility
lighting our way to life.

© 2025 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman