“This year, regardless of what has been done in your life before, I hope you will join me and others on a Lenten journey. Let us walk together in love and with the trust that God is able and willing to take us from where we are today to where God wants us to be, one step of grace at a time.”
Pastor Brandon Hudson

Bearded, unkempt Isaiah-Jeremiah eases one foot,
then the other, over the curb defining the limits
of safe passage across the Sunday morning
downtown street, traffic indifferent to this prophet

faithing one baby step, pause, then the next,
patient as natural to the House Of The Lord,
haven for the Homeless unafraid of worshipers
arriving insulated in mammoth vehicles.

And now, a lapsed poet finds himself
at the prophet’s side, touching his sleeve
as if guiding, praying, Hurry! Hurry!
more for himself than Isaiah-Jeremiah,

“The Prophet Isaiah Canvas Print,” oil painting by North Italian School

traffic parting around them, the poet
maybe surviving by association,
what might look like faith, having leapt
just in time to safety all those years.

Now, how many lives left?
The prophet leaves him
on the sidewalk: “Choose Love”
the parting message.

“It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.” ¹

Notes:

¹ The opening line of the opening theme song “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” written and performed by Fred Rogers for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, PBS KIDS.