April 15th

“The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
     a stronghold in times of trouble.” Psalm 9:9

cracks in hope’s resolve,
children playing in rubble,
folks teetering at exhaustion’s abyss,
so many bruised places, people,
and the Holy One wonders if
we might offer
not walled off fortresses
but unlocked doorways,
where the forgotten are welcomed
with no questions, no ID required.
where three in the morning
trembles are not cured
but held softly in compassion.
for it is that listening ear
which does not rush off,
another chair pulled to the table,
a name recalled after the world
has wiped it from its database—
those small, simple graces
God offers, so we may become
the refuge another needs,
and as we do, we may discover
that we are not the builders
of God’s havens of hope
but simply those who
hold open the doors.

© 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman