April 25th

"Father of orphans and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation." Psalm 68:5

you open the shelter door

for the battered women

and their kids, so they find

safe lodgings and hope,

you gather the little girls

who the rigidly religious

believe have no right 

to an education, and hand

them books from your library,

you use the app on your phone

to order rides for all the adolescents

who found a suitcase on the

front porch and the locks changed

so they can come and stay

at your place for as long 

as they might need.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 24th

"Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting . . . Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend." Exodus 33:7, 11a

Friend God,

in the tent made out
of sheets over furniture
as ghost stories are told
on dark and stormy nights,

in the intimate conversation

shared in a tea shop with

a friend we haven't seen in ages,

in the silence of a graveyard

as an old man tells of his day

to his lifelong love lying

beneath his feet, we meet

you face to face.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 23rd

"'You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.' Matthew 5:14

you wander through the

bombed out communities

in Ukraine, carrying a tiny,

flickering candle of peace.

in a rubble-strewn hospital

somewhere in Gaza, you
hold steady a single light

to enable the surgeons to see.

in every shadow of worry,

under every rock which we use

to try to hide ourselves,

in the lengthy evening of dread

creeping across the lawns

of every soul in every place,

you try to create that 

Beloved Community of hope,

of grace, of inclusion, of justice,

praying we might bring 

our lights to merge with yours.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 22nd

"And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." Exodus 32:14

we dig our heels
deep into long held convictions

on how people should live,

while you kneel down, writing
'you are forgiven' in the sand

for the stubborn folks watching

how you might respond to

unacceptable behavior.

we cling so tight to our

entrenched beliefs that they

almost cringe in pain, and

you pause and reflect, 

saying, 'you know, now

that i think about it, maybe

i was wrong . . . "

and then watch to see

if we might respond in kind.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 21st

 "He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Mark 6:31

you gently take
the devices out
of our hands, inviting
us to simply sit back
and watch the sunset.
you turn off all of
our streaming apps,
podcasts, news programs,
sports events, and those
voices shouting for our attention,
and ask, ‘can you hear the wind?’
you take us by the elbow
to gently lead us away
from the arguments which
consume our souls, and
lead us over to a bench,
where we sit in comfortable
silence.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 20th

"As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience . . . Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:12, 14

breaking your own rule, you

gather up scraps of justice, 

some pieces of hope, a few 

snippets of grace, some

lace woven from kindness,

to mend and patch our 

faded, frayed love into a

garment of many gifts 

fit for everyday wear.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

April 19th

"Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, 'See the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" Exodus 24:8

may we see

the blood of the covenant

in the children injured

in wars and abuse.

may we touch

the blood of the covenant

coursing through the veins

under the paper thin skin

of older folks sharing wisdom.

may we feel 

the blood of the covenant

pulsing through us in

a transfusion donated 

by a stranger who we 

might never meet (or like)

giving us life.

(c) 2024 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman