hope

there is poetry
in the veins of leaves
there is music
in the swish of your cat’s tail
there is magic
in the smell of sweet roiboos tea

there is enough
there is wholeness
there is enough

a Christmas prayer

God of our grace and light
God of our suffering and darkness
Remind us again
of your vulnerability
and compassion
Give us faith like a child
faith in the child
that opened our eyes to love
and broke down the divisions
of humanity
amen.

God, if you

God, if you are there
teach me that you bear no resemblance
to the Father I prayed to
teach me that you are not bound
to the words I was given

God, if you are
teach me why you exist

[I believe]

[no longer condemned]
the gavel drops and
I’m holding it

[forgiven]
accusations ring out and
I’m saying the words

[regarded as blameless]
guilt suffocates and
I fight the urge to breathe

[given love]
contempt kills and
I limit what is limitless

[given truth]
ignorance invades and
I am safer in blindness

[given freedom]
i build a fortress of discipline

[I believe]

come live with us

come live with us
bring small triumphs
ready laughter
a sympathetic ear
intelligent questions

come live with us
bring deceit
unconquerable lust
an arrogant pride
vicious criticism

come live with us
bring an open mind
humble encouragement
a creative voice
genuine loyalty

come live with us
bring your spite
childish fear
a constant depression
overwhelming insecurity

come live with us
bring joy
gentle thoughtfulness
an unending patience
unconditional grace

come live with us
broken
honest
human

credo

certainty slides fades squeezes
into doubts
falling quickly (beautifully)
to questions beyond the reach
of all answers
pushed into spaces unknown
yet frighteningly free
losing all the black and white
to grey (unassuming)
vague and shifting rather
opening all the doors to different
ways of knowing
the comprehension of paradox
as the question to all great answers
still unasked (unmasked)
ambiguity as the final form
of faith
amen.