out of harm's way (Mark 3:20-35)

petition in hand
   you are about
            to go
      out the door,
   ready to stop
      every person
            in the street,
   asking them to fight
      against today's
            injustice,
but we grab
                you
   right before
      you grasp the
           doorknob
imploring
         "but we haven't
      finished breakfast"

pulling on your
            winter coat,
   and wrapping a muffler
            around your neck,
      you pick up the box of
                sandwiches
   for the overnight
                shelter,
but
         we walk over,
   dangling the car keys
   in front of you,
            coldly stating,
      "you're not going anywhere
       with the roads so
                   icy."

turning Rublev's
                Trinity
      towards the
         wall;
forgetting to pick
   up your clothes
   at the cleaners
     (again! really?);
hiding your sandals
         in the back of the
   closet,

we can come up
with dozens of ways to
                restrain
         you
   from bringing the
         kingdom
into
    our lives,
    our churches,
    our world.

(c) 2012 Thom M. Shuman