Dearly Beloved,
Grace and Peace to you.
The Good Shepherd holds his little lambs,
his tender little beloved ones in his arms,
holds the whole neighborhood:
the frightened ones huddling in their houses,
the brave ones surrounding the suspect,
the crowd down the street clamoring
for the capture of the criminal,
with plenty of names for him,
and reasons for him to suffer.
The Good Shepherd holds them all,
good and bad, and, holding them,
holds them all together, even
the frightened one lying in his blood,
bewildered by his own cruelty,
the evil for which he can never atone,
the past and all the futures he’s erased,
his reasons for others to suffer—
with everyone against him now,
alone in the world, his brutal solitude,
in the desperate boat hiding under the tarp,
the Good Shepherd, weeping,
holds his little stray lamb, and all of us,
because, my friend, all of us
are in the same tender arms.
Every one of us
is in the same
boat.
Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve
__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net
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