God Stuck Her Tongue Out



God stuck her tongue out at the church
and we grabbed hold of the budded thing
and started flapping it around the neighborhood
like a swimming pool noodle or downy pillow
and before we knew it we were speaking things
we never bothered to dream or wonder
held our tight lips taught when we ever felt them
and yet there they were waggling out:

welcome, stranger, into the fold of mercy
now you are called brother, sister, friend

gather round, immigrants, we speak your language,
no one will shun your accent or poverty here

dance your way through the door, lost ones
and teach us your wild moves and we will teach ours

stroll in you wounded souls and skins
and let us wrap and kiss your pain to healing

make room, settled ones, for the wave is surging
and it will unsettle your closed-mouth silence

nothing, not even our provincial proclivities
can stop these mouths from sputtering
words of grace that blow open any door
any wall any blue law Sunday limitations
on what Spirit can do when set free to
tousle the world’s hair
until love has swept us all away

Comments

  1. Michael, this is wonderful - permission to use it on Sunday as part of my sermon?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks. I hope you got my email, but yes, feel free to use with attribution. Glad you like it.

    ReplyDelete

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