Mercy

As snow falls tenderly to earth,

so mercy alights on stony hearts,

softening their terrain.

Or so I would like to believe.

I saw a gentle prophet

speak words of mercy,

words of grace,

as truth sprung forth in love

spoken on behalf of the vulnerable

who lie in the crosshairs of a Caesar

whom, I must confess, I despise.

Her pacific tone reminded me

that even he needs mercy,

as do we all.

O God of mercy

let your snow fall freshly,

to tenderize his heart of stone

for the sake of the vulnerable.

For his sake too.

Amen.

Under Christ’s Mercy,

Brent

Inspired by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde’s plea to Donald Trump at the January 21, 2025 Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral.

The Gift of the Magi

Make me a star dear Lord

A bright, shining incandescence

Set against the malignant darkness.

Remove all hatred from my heart

That I may become a vessel of peace.

That I may see my enemies

Not as monsters to be slain,

But as victims to be rescued.

May I be filled with a holy love,

The kind that forgives as you forgive,

Even when nailed to a tree.

May my light be impossible to miss

That all I pass, or who pass by me,

Might stop…

See…

Think…

Wonder…

Confess…

And Follow my gaze to you.

May my luminous words and actions

provoke such irresistible curiosity

That people will have no choice

But to put on sunglasses,

The magic kind that reveals

The world you desire,

Where swords become plowshares,

Spears, pruning hooks,

Where hate is swallowed up in love

And dread dissolved in hope.

Where enemies become brothers,

And the whole Earth finds salvation.

Yes.

Make me a star dear Lord

A bright shining incandescence

Set against the malignant darkness.

Under Christ’s Mercy,

Brent