The reckoning

Nationalism
bares its Teeth
Feed Me
War
And Weapons
And Scripture
IT Shouts
I will mold it
in my image

As sheep
ever so
quietly
feed their neighbors

Would you
rather be
in the woods
with a Man or a Bear
Social Media asks?

And the Manosphere
Bemoans Male Loneliness
And epidemics
Of low-childbirth

While Churches
gather little old ladies
For communion
And cherish
the few babes
They have--often
housing childcares
Music lessons and
Meals

Jesus is too Feminine!
Empathy is a Sin!
What can you Sell the Bible for?
White Nationalists
Demean and Demand
Screaming on Social Media
In all Caps
Asking for RESULTS

While the Christian Reckoning
Continues

And the faithful remnant
slowly sets down
full time clergy
pews
beautiful stained glass
and ancient buildings
with a sigh--

Congregations ironically hold a lot
real estate in the nation
One of the last places
for Community to gather
Crumbling slowly
Away

Another infrastructure
going

And worry about the children
who are more hungry
their neighbors who are too busy
to have time to ask their deep spiritual questions
but long to be in
a deeply

enfleshed
enmeshed
emboldened
enveloped
enbeloved (yes I made that one up)
community

And they sing the deep deep hymns
of love
of longing
of peace
Always peace

The reckoning isn’t coming
its here

Have you reckoned?