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
