i have met the enemy . . .

"For the enemy has pursued me, 

crushing my life to the ground,
making me sit in darkness like those long dead." Psalm 143:3

the fatigue which is

that shadow which refuses

to disappear in the sun,

the fear which giggles

in the closet's shadows

as i hang up my clothes,

the pain which is like

a constrictor slowly trying

to squeeze all my energy out,

the loneliness which seems

to have adopted me as

its long-lost-now-found friend.

it is those little enemies 

which wear me down each day,

not that Enemy i was always

warned about, but seems not

to pay much attention to me.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

worlds apart

“'You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.'" Matthew 5:38-42

we shake our heads

and with a wry smile

think to ourselves that,

with all your wisdom

with all your common sense

with all your experience

working with your hands

and walking the dusty roads

with the strugglers and stragglers,

you just don't seem to have

a clue as to how the world operates

and

as you continue to reach out

with your callused hands

so the stragglers and strugglers

can keep up with you 

on the pilgrimage you are guiding,

you smile wryly to yourself,

shaking your head as you wonder,

with all their common sense

with all their 'real world' experience

with all the wikiknowledge they have,

why doesn't anyone have a clue

as to the Beloved Community

just there within their reach

through that thin space called

grace

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

in peace

"He said to him, 'Go in peace.'” 2 Kings 5:19a

may we live in peace

with those who annoy us

as well as those who

encourage us.

may we speak in peace

to those whose words

drip with anger and those

who are afraid to speak.

may we walk in peace

on pilgrimages to reconcile

our broken neighborhoods

and the shattered places

of our own lives.

ma we go in peace

wherever you would

send us, even into the

most uncomfortable places

we dare imagine.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

4:00 a.m.

"O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

    his steadfast love endures forever!"  Psalm 118:1

it's 4:00 a.m.,

and i am wide awake

(once again) trying not

to look at the clock, or

worrying about something

i did or did not put on

that list i left on the counter,

or hoping that the creak

i hear is just the cat

pushing the closet door 

open and not my anxieties

tip-toeing down the hall

ready to sit by the bed

and read my their

evening liturgy, or wondering

why it is that i seem 

to wake up exactly at 4

most mornings (and are

there other folks wide awake

like me, and if so, maybe

we could start some sort

of club?) and perhaps the

biggest question, worry,

wonder of all

does your steadfast love

really endure forever, even

at 4:00 in the morning?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

tgif?

"O LORD, you have searched me and known me." Psalm 139:1

you know,

that on this day

there are those who

cannot wait for the weekend

to begin with all its fun,

travels, gatherings, chances

to insta share everything

and

for others,

it is just that long break

of loneliness, thumbing through

old memories and photo albums,

of sitting across from an empty chair,

before Monday with all its

disappointed expectations

shows up once again.

you know,

because you know us

and knowing us

continue to be with us

however we face this

day

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

and sitting down . . .

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:” Matthew 5:1-2

you could have sequestered yourself

writing a 20-volume Summa for us,

but you were out gathering children

on your lap, to tell them jokes 

as you listened gently to their fears.

you might have wandered through

the crowds that followed, autographing

robes, sandals, carpenter's tools, tax books,

but you knelt to draw forgiveness

in the sand pocked by a woman's tears.
you could have questioned us write

and left to see if we could pass the test,

but you challenged us to become

a community with the forgotten,

to embrace the hope offered to us

by those we try to rush by,

to be those tiny seeds of humility

scattered over the rich soil of the arrogant,

to see justice as our daily sacrifice for others,

to practice forgiveness as our language of love,

to see God grinning like a fool
at all the mistakes we make, while 

encouraging us to try, try again.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

implausible

“My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,” 1 Corinthians 2:4

rather than grand pronouncements

may we compose silly songs 

which put a smile on the 

tearstained faces of kids.

instead of political platforms

composed of empty words,

let us pass laws which give

paid parental leave to every worker.

before we bind our sermons

(which really say nothing new,

do they?) to sell on the internet,

may we offer the silence 

of the Spirit in our whispers of grace,

the power of hope in our

commitment to justice,

the gentleness of peace

for those opening their hands

in prayer for reconciliation.

© 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

mercy!

"so our eyes look to the LORD our God, 

    until he has mercy upon us." Psalm 123:2c

in your mercy,

may our eyes turn away

from those pied pipers

of mayhem and meanness,

to see your justice at work

in the broken places.

by your mercy,

may our ears tune out

the cries of bitterness

and the shouts of mockery,

so we can hear the whispers

of your compassion.

through your mercy,

may our hearts not be hardened

by the hate poured into them

from all who misuse your 

gospel of love and hope,

but that they might be tenderized

by your tears of grace 

running down your cheeks.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo:  @Thom-Shuman

blessings

blessed are

those who fill our emptiness with God's hope;
those who mingle our tears with theirs;
those who care as much for creation                                                                                            as they do for themselves;
those who offer the hungry and thirsty
more than empty promises and emptier pockets;
those who wrap others with the shawl of mercy;
those who see God, not in narcissists and celebrities,
but in all the broken, the imperfect, the vulnerable;
those children who are playmates with peace;
those immigrants who bring the Beloved Community to us.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

foolhardy

"For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

while we think we have

answered the question,

'have you been saved?'

clearly and unequivocally,

as long as we believe

politics should solve the

struggle for justice or

that an economic system

can do away with poverty

or reading a few books and

attending a two-day seminar

will eradicate systemic racism

and writing new hymns and liturgies

will turn haters into lovers,

we are still in desperate need

of being saved from ourselves.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

O my people

“'O that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!'” Psalm 81:13

in those stories we hear

over and over from the 

old folks all around us,

seeds of grace are 

planted deep within us.

in the songs of little kids

being made up as the

bath water cools and

they procrastinate getting

out and going to bed,

we hear songs of love.

in the tear-filled anguish

of young people struggling

with gender issues, we listen

to the wounding of their souls

and the healing hope of God

if we but listen

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

mimes

"Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us." Philippians 3:17

i could imitate the

narcissists, pointing

everyone to me, or

i could direct them 

to the ignored around us.

i could mimic those

who mock the struggling

or i could make sure

the vulnerable are honored.

i could turn poverty into a burlesque

stripping the needy of everything,

while the wealthy laugh at them

in a room filled with the 

smoke of contempt or

i could tear the theater down

and build a school where 

justice is not just talked about

but becomes that arc stretching

across the universe.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman 

more

"Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" Philippians 3:7-8a

my face tattooed

in the palms of your hands

is worth far more than

all the letters i could

put after my name.

you whispering 'my beloved'

in my ear as i fall asleep

and when i wake up

means more than any

'amen!' tossed my way.

your grace which grits

my eyes and sands my

rough edges until they

are as smooth as your cheeks

when you hold me close,

is more special than any

paycheck i ever received.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

play misty for me

"Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14

make me a sprinkler of joy

for little kids and those

in their second childhood

to run through on summer days.

make me a blanket of wonder

for families to use to make 

angels on snow days from school.

make me a hose of justice

which the parched oppressed

may drink from when the powerful

turn their backs on them.

make me a faucet of grace

whose handle has broken off

so it flows through the lives

of the lonely and afraid 

without ever subsiding.

make me a mist of hope

which covers those who

have climbed into that boat

which gently carries them

to the far shore where 

love waits to welcome them.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

first love

"I love the LORD, because he has heard
   my voice and my supplications." Psalm 116:1

because

you hear the anguished

cries of those living through

the worst people can do to them

before tuning into my pity party

when i stub my toe on privilege,

when

you turn toward the voices

of folks who have no money

or influence to offer the power brokers

rather than listening to my

country song about how hard

it is to get into my way-too-expensive

big old truck i drive for show,

since 

you sit with your hands

wrapped tight around 

the cold coffee cup trying

not to break it into pieces

listening to the story of the

person traumatized from being

trafficked since age 12 while

i pick up my 3rd mocha latte

in an hour and slide into the

corner to watch soft porn

on my brand new laptop,

i fall in love with you

even more than the 

first time we met.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

tongue tied

"So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire." James 3:5-6a

we think we are just

whispering behind the 

backs of another but

their soul is burned to a crisp

as if from a GOT dragon,

we utter a simple word

of mockery towards another

never noticing how it becomes

a match setting a bonfire

of pain in their heart,

and

we never noticing how

the bitterness bubbling

deep within our brokenness

turns into flames dancing

on the tips of our tongues.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

where?

"Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; 

   the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
They utter lies to each other;
   with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." Psalm 12:1-2

maybe we are 

looking in the wrong

places and faces,

for the godly

are in dumpsters

separating trash

from recyclables,

the faithful 

are giving up time

on their devices 

to devise opportunities

for those seeking hope,

the single hearted

are focused on caring

for the forgotten,

the honest 

are holding accountable

those who see themselves

as self-appointed saviors.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

wastral

"But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; 

   my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant;
  I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Psalm 73:2-3

i spent so much

filling my closets

with the latest from

the haughty couture shops,

i had to buy into

those ponzi schemes

which promised all the riches

i saw piled up on the tables

of the banquets of all the

Metabillionaires and X-men,

until you grabbed me

by the scruff of my soul

to set my weary feet

back on the path of simplicity.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

for all the Jerusalems

"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:"  Psalm 122:6

for cities where violence

is heard almost every hour

of every day and every night

and where guns seem as easy

to carry as loose change,

Lord, hear our prayers.

for suburbs and neighborhoods

where cars are stolen as easily

as packages off front porches

and 13 year-olds lead car chases

just like they have seen in videos

until they end up in situations 

and places not shown on their devices,

Lord, hear our prayers.

for rural areas where folks

cannot get broadband service,

physical or mental health care, 

but the pandemic of opioids 

is as strong as it was (if not 

worse) then when it started,

Lord, hear our prayers.

for nursing homes where 

staff is lacking and folks are 

not getting the care they need

and in costly retirement communities

where privilege masks abject 

loneliness and fears of dying,

Lord, hear our prayers.

for houses on quiet streets

in 'sought for' neighborhoods

where people abuse partners,

where children are ignored,

where fear lurks in every corner

behind shuttered windows and

in every heart behind shattered love,

Lord, hear our prayers.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

night prayer

"O LORD, God of my salvation, 

    when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
   incline your ear to my cry."  Psalm 88:1-2

it is in the shadows

creeping across the lawn

that i find the silence

in which i can offer you

all that brokenness

i could not reveal to 

anyone during the day.

it is in the gathering evening

that i can take off that 

confident face and show you

the tear-stained wrinkles

and still that bold, confident

voice so you can hear 

the cracks in my whispers.

it is when i lie on my bed

surrounded by all the ghosts

of the stuffed animals which

protected me for so, so long

that i can hang my mature,

adult self in the closet, as 

i long to curl up in your lap

as you sing lullabies to me

all night long, if needed.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman

insomniac

"In the morning they did not recognize the land," Acts 27:39a

while we are dozing off

in front of our streaming apps

walk through our broken

communities and restore 

them with justice and hope,

while we are busy yelling

at all the memes and posts

on stomach-churning social media

whisper lullabies to children

who have been sleeping rough

as you carry them into the 

new homes you have built

in the moonless night,

while we are asleep 

dreaming of our fancy cars

our expensive vacations

our portfolios increasing

hand out the resources 

folks need to feed families,

pay for medicine, educate kids,

and know the life we have all too well,

so when we awake

we will not ken this place

called the Beloved Community.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

for

"'For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish;'" Mark 14:7a

for

since they make such

an easy target for the

pious and political hucksters,

for

since they have brought

their circumstances upon

themselves (so we are told

and so we believe),

for 

since they do not seem

able or willing to pull 

themselves up out of 

their misery and lot in life

(unlike those of us who

have spent all our lives

pulling up out of our 

comfortable cribs to embrace

our privileged lifestyles),

for 

since, however hard we try,

they refuse to go away 

as we so often wish and wish,

why

should should we ever

wish

to show them any kindness

at any moment of their lives?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

gate crasher

"'So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.'" Mark 13:29

when the forgotten

are remembered in the

hallways of politics,

when the food pantries

are closed down for good

because they are no longer

needed in the world,

when funeral poverty disappears

because the dead are treated

with the respect they deserve,

when injustice is posted

on the extinction list 

in every community,

when the pandemic of hate

comes to an end through

continued boosters of love,

then we know we no longer

need to keep waiting for our

knight riding a white horse

to appear in the distance, for

the Beloved Community has

thrown wide its gates.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo  @Thom-Shuman

chillblains

"King David was old and advanced in years; and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm." 1 Kings 1:1

when cruelty's Chillblains

slow me down in trying

to follow you with grace,

put your hand under my elbow

so i can keep trying.

when fear's frost settles

upon my heart and it begins

to creak and crack in the night,

warm it with Spirit's breath.

when the wintry grip of death

seems to want to never 

let go of my soul, swaddle me

in the shawl of resurrection hope

and place me in the cradle

of your abiding love.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

all day long

"Be gracious to me, O God, for people trample on me;

   all day long foes oppress me;" Psalm 56:1

when we come 

to the end of this day,

may we look back and see

that when

folks stepped on our fingers

so they could get just

a bit higher on the ladder

to heaven,

you kissed our hands and 

swaddled them in your tears;

that when

folks knocked us into

the ditches by the side

of the road as they rushed

to get to the finish line first,

you picked us up, 

dusted us off, and bought

us brand new clothes

woven from hope and love;

that when

we felt the heavy boots

of fear, hate, and prejudice

crushing our spirits, 

you gathered them up

with the dust of creation

and reshaped us 

with your grace.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

Barzillai

"But Barzillai said to the king, 'How many years have I still to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? Today I am eighty years old; can I discern what is pleasant and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks? Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?'" 2nd Samuel 19:34-35

there may come that

day when food seems 

too bland to enjoy, so continue

to give me the manna of grace.

there may come that 

morning when the sweet tea

tastes like tap water, but

i hope you will still hold

the cup of hope to my lips.

there may come that evening

when the songs of my memory

can only be heard in the voices

of those learning them for the first time.

but until then,

may i remember that 

you never see me as a burden

but a blessing held in your heart.

(c) 2023 Thom M; Shuman

Venmo @Thom-Shuman

third commandment

"Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these.'" Mark 12:29-31

oh, 

and by the way,

love doesn't mean

you get to set the rules

for folks you don't like.

love doesn't mean 

you get to determine

whose heart can 

be joined to another's.

love doesn't mean

you know what is best

for everybody else.

love doesn't mean

you get to bully folks

whose lives and choices

are not like yours.

God doesn't see anyone

as unclean or unholy.

God's love is more than enough

for you, for me, for everyone.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman 

who, indeed!

"O LORD, who may abide in your tent? 

   Who may dwell on your holy hill?" Psalm 15:1

like the tent at

the World Quidditch Match,

your dwelling place seems

to be able (and willing) 

to offer accommodations

for everyone (with room to spare),

and when you fed

those thousands on the grass

long, long ago, we realized

that it is the hungry and the hopeful,

the forgotten and the frenetic,

the lonely and the loving families,

the faithful and the foolish,

the ones we know as well as

the ones known only to you

who gather on the hill made holy

by your selfless love.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

unthroned

"To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!"  Psalm 123:1

we do not need 

a Webb or Hubble

to find you in the heavens,

but, if we open our eyes,

we will see you

in the little child sharing

a sandwich with the 

rough sleeper on the bench,

we will notice you

(just out of the corner

of our eye, if we are quick)

listening to the same story

your aging neighbor has told

you a hundred times before,

we will observe you 

quietly bringing justice 

to those forgotten by the

powerful and the politicians

who are too busy posturing

for the cameras and offering 

sound bites quickly dismissed

after the votes are counted.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

(with delight, to be honest)

"Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves;" Mark 11:15

though we imagine

(with delight, to be honest)

you picking up a whip

and using it in that moment,

maybe it was that simple

withering look of disappointment

(like my mother often had)

that got the folks to pack up

and skedaddle.

though we hear 

(with delight, to be honest)

your loud, angry voice 

piling umbrage upon all

those knuckleheads in that place,

maybe it was simply 

the crack in your voice 

as it broke, while staring 

around at the desecration

that made them back away.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

cherry pickers

"'You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.'" John 5:39-40

we practice and practice

our Biblical sword drills

so we can skewer those

we are sure are knuckleheads,

we memorize and memorize

obscure verses so we can

trot them out to defend you

against all those folks 

we label as sinners,

we highlight and underline

the passages even you 

are embarrassed that folks

claim come straight from

your very heart,

that

we miss out on the

life of grace, compassion,

justice, and inclusion 

you long to offer to

everyone.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

promise kept

"'If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’”  Mark 11:3

the donkey came wandering

back later in the day, riderless,

a little less active than earlier,

with a slightly dazed look in its eyes,

and a blanket of grace

across its back to shawl its people

from the chill of death,

a palm branch woven in its bridle 

to be used as a broom to sweep

away fear's dust floating in the air,

and

a quick note from Jesus, 'much appreciated.

i'll be back to thank you in person

before you even realize i am gone.'

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

live sound tech

“‘Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’” Mark 10:48

while we are turning
around shushing those

at the back of society,

while we are telling

the forgotten to passively

accept their situation,

while we are searching

for duct tape to cover 

the mouths of young people

crying out for the creation,

you

are setting up the biggest

speakers you have,

sound checking the mics

so they work properly,

and just itching to crank

up the volume knob

on the audio console 

until everyone pays attention.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

to an unknown psalmist

"The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;

    let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
   righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him,
   and consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
   the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
   before the Lord of all the earth. Psalm 97:1-5

in the mist drifting over

lakes and prairie meadows,

i sense the One in control.

the passion of young people

for all creation, and the justice

old folks have been seeking 

all their lives are woven together

for the hammock in grace's backyard.

late at night, the stars twinkle 

the compassion so steady that

cruelty will eventually fade away.

fireflies float on a summer evening

illuminating the imagination 

of little children who giggle and wiggle

as they try to catch them.

the pedestals we build for our

clay-footed celebrity idols melt

under the withering gaze 

of the Love which only has eyes

for the forgotten.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman 

that one thing

“Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’” Mark 10:21

when the 

one thing 

is my heart 

already betrothed to

fear

power

adulation

worry

seduction . . .

how can i sell

something which

is already mortgaged

far too many times?

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

mud pies and shooting stars

“‘Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’” Mark 10:15

instead of grumbling about 

the sudden rain coming 

and messing up our carefully

arranged layers of soil,

may we find that lost joy

of making mud pies,

as we sit on the deck

in evening's shadows

fidgeting with our devices,

may we gaze up and

rediscover the wonders

of stars racing across the sky.

when we unclench our 

hearts filled with anger,

may we reach out for

the hands of little children

who will lead us back 

into your Community of 

life.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

promised land

“Give ear to my words, O LORD;
give heed to my sighing.” Psalm 5:1

gathering up our sighs,

you build a bridge 

where we can breathe

a whisper of hope as

we cross over the river

flooded with our tears

and into that promised land

called Steadfast Grace of God.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

behold!

"So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 

    beholding your power and glory." Psalm 63:2

i have sat in the quire 

of a great cathedral listening

to gentle voices of grace

and

heard you singing lullabies 

to little children cradled 

in their mothers' arms 

in hospital rooms.

i have wandered around

thin places where you tear

the between undiscovered galaxies

and those whose DNA includes stardust

and 

shadowed you as you

take the hands of the lonely

and walk with them until

they step over into your grace.

i have seen your power 

in thunderstorms shaking

the summits of mountains

and 

discovered your brokenness

among the ashes of communities

destroyed by wildfires. 

even as i

behold your glory

i am held in your

grace.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

music

“Let them praise his name with dancing,
   making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.”
Psalm 149:3

thinking the symphony 

of creation calls only for 

human shaped instruments,

we ignore the deep bass

of the bullfrog by the pond,

the scratching of a bear's

back against a tree,

the slithering of snakes

through a meadow's grass,

the rubbing together of

the edges of crickets' wings,

the whispers on the wind

caused by hawks gliding

in the sky above us.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

out of Sheol

"The snares of death encompassed me; 

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish." Psalm 116:3

i was lonely

and you could have

let me tag along by your side.

but you nudged me 

to take one hesitant step

then a more hopeful one,

unclenching my hands 

to reach out to those

even lonelier, to form a community.

i was broken

and you might have sent

all your angels and archangels

to put me back together

and set me back on my wall.

but you let the hurts of others

seep in through the cracks

of my heart like morning light

so together we could become

stained glass windows of healing.

i could not find the words

to tell others of what was

going on inside, the struggles,

the fears, the worries all

swirling together,

and you could have handed

me a dictionary or thesaurus.

but you put a a pad on my lap 

and a pen in my hand, and whispered,

'dip it in the cauldron of your soul

and begin to write, simply write.'

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

Mephibosheth

“The king said, ‘Is there anyone remaining of the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?’” 2 Samuel 9:3a

intent on making sure

those who do not act

the way we think they should

are told off in no uncertain terms

we may not notice 

how they hunger for words

of grace and hope,

so busy gathering up

all the stones we can find

to be ready to hurl them

towards those who break

every rule we make up 

for them (but not us) to follow,

we may miss our chance

to build bridges across

the abyss of fear 

we have dug with our 

own hearts.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

influencers

"Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;

   the faithful have disappeared from humankind."  Psalm 12:1

the polls might convince us

that the knuckleheads

are about to consolidate

their hold on people's hearts,

social media makes it appear

that snark is trending far better

than simple compassion for others,

our devices blow up 

with all sorts of reels which

popularize cruelty and ridicule.

but

if we look closely,

we will see the faithful

plugging away for justice,

the gentle cradling the

broken,

love continuing to finish

ahead of hate, and you

mentoring those wise enough

to pay attention.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

sometimes

"How long will you assail a person,

  will you batter your victim, all of you,
as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?"  Psalm 62:3

sometimes,

it is not a big

piece of wood 

which inflicts pain

but the keyboard

on our device.

sometimes,

it is not a right hook

to the jaw which 

knocks a person down,

but our finger pointing

at them while we talk

behind their back.

sometimes,

it is not the meanest

junkyard dog which 

scares people silly

but that righteous,

compassionate believer

convinced their words

are all another person 

needs for healing, rather

than a gentle touch.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

homesteading

"I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'”  Psalm 122:1

sitting in the corner

watching the other folks

tapping on their devices

reading a book or sitting in silence,

with a quick top up 

from the barista and a

short chat about life

in the packed theater

of parents and bored kids

overwhelmed by pink

and challenged to think

in the midst of laughter

and piercing of prejudices

at the rally supporting 

one of my deepest concerns

as the songs and talks

resound around and within us

as we are surrounded by strangers

we think we have known all our lives,

we find ourselves 

at home with you

in so many places

we never dared imagine

that first morning 

we were wrapped in

stained glass filtered light

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

crumbs

"But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'" Mark 7:28

we will meet those

the rest of the world

steps out of the way

to avoid at all cost,

we will hear 

the whispers of loneliness

of the people huddling

in their homes and hearts,

we will be challenged

to release those beliefs,

prejudices, and faiths

we clutch so tight in our fists,

if we but follow

the trail of grace crumbs

God has left in the world

just as you did.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

breakfast

"Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,

    for in you I put my trust."  Psalm 143:8

we stumble down to the table,

ready for another bowl

of pity's porridge, a cup 

of tepid tedium, a cold piece

of toast with curdled bitter

slapped all over it to start

our day the usual way,

but

then you put down a plate

piled with crisp compassion,

a hope and justice omelet,

a steaming cup of love

with a heaping spoonful of grace,

and we know we can handle

whatever awaits us 

as we head out the door.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

clueless

“for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:52

compassion shrivels up

and drifts away as

our hearts become callused

by indifference,

kindness is left behind

as we rush to gather up

more privilege in our arms,

grace becomes a commodity

to be sold to the highest bidder

rather than being placed

in the basket labeled 'free'

and you shake your head

and weep as you realize

we still do not discern 

who you are and what

you are all about.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman

border crossing

“During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” Acts 16:9

at the edge of fear,

wondering if we dare

put our toes in the water

to test if they will hold us.

on the cliffs overlooking

the abyss of the future,

thinking about how far down

down it is, if we miss our step.

on the border of polarization,

doubting that anything we

might say or do could build

bridges to the other side,

we could choose to ignore

those who are calling for help

or we can become illegal migrants

carrying grace, hope, and justice

on our back as we take that first

step.

(c) 2023 Thom M. Shuman