Where can we give our voice and muscle on behalf of some part of creation that suffers injustice, discrimination, abuse, or neglect? When I hear Jesus say, “as you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done to me,” I am thinking about people… but more than just people: about the whole of creation. We have a duty.
Br. Curtis Almquist,
Society of Saint John the Evangelist
Second string saints
by Steve Garnaas-Holmes
God, we praise you for all those subtle saints
who have blessed our lives:
for the parents who endured many a midnight for us,
for the grandma who was often flustered and confused
but never stopped loving us,
for the coach who let us fail over and over
till we got it right—praise!
For the neighbor who never knew what to say
but was a deep, appreciative listener,
for the guy who never had it together
but who stumbled with such good humor—praise!
For the enemy who forgave us,
and the woman who always got our name wrong
but kept praying for us—praise!
For the odd old fellow who never fit in
and lived a rumpled, loving life—praise!
For the widow, so brokenhearted, who showed us
grief is bad weather one can live through—praise!
For all those who never managed to succeed
but who showed us how to be faithful,
who without triumph or miracles
taught us greatness of heart—praise!
For the regular people in whom your light shone
whether they knew it or not—praise!
For all the second string saints,
hobbled, broken, and flawed,
into whom you poured your grace to overflowing,
praise!