Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Choice

Choice

The pious who make excuses 
for the sins of their leaders
must enjoy witnessing their anti-heroes
getting away with what
they themselves secretly dream of doing

All humans learn to be ashamed
but for some their shame metastasizes
into rooting for those 
whose shamelessness is mistaken for boldness

Rather than enjoying what they have
they spend their days worrying
about what will be taken away from them
as if all is earned and nothing is given

These idolaters appoint a stand-in for God
and rather than rising 
they fall
reasoning that if water can become wine
sin can become virtue
rather than something to atone for

For them words are boundaries
to keep out the strangers
doubt, forgiveness, connection, transformation

They do not acknowledge that words are also invitations
to grow in wisdom and equanimity

Their leaders say they didn’t know
they were doing anything wrong
but they would do it again

This is evil playing dumb

One may know the Bible
chapter and verse
without knowing
the difference between good and evil

Confusing the devil for God 
is a choice
a vulnerable world can no longer afford

Copyright Diana Shellenberger 2019
Art by poet/maker William Blake