Faith Challenges: It Ain't All Comfort

The eagle's talons drop down to seize its prey. The vulture closes in behind on patient wings of silent pursuit, Ready to erase all signs of life once passing here. Bollards form the canvas, Following the border line— A line drawn in sand— Only partially obscuring the ugliness behind. A rusty barbed wire fence twice draped in shiny coils of concertina wire, Another line of bollards, O’erlooked by towers arrayed with electronics, The Berlin wall upgraded and modernized, Technologically outfitted and state of the art, Surveilling all that moves across the sandy expanse, Terrain made uninhabitable, Made unwelcoming, Promising violence, Promising nothing like liberty, Nothing like a land of the free, A land for the free, A home of the brave, Interrupting and destroying this friendship park between two nations. Where once a First Lady ordered cut a barbed w...

He showed up at the gate one day. Somebody fed him. It's what you do. After all, it's a home for migrants, A home for people on the move, A place to give them a place, Belonging, Shelter, Food, Comfort, Medical attention, Clothing, A path forward, Childcare, Training, Employment in the community, Community itself. People on the move need a place where they can help others on their journey. Happy showed back up the next day, And the next, And the next. A volunteer brought him inside, Gave him a bed, Adopted him. The little furball set up his own routine, Climbing down the stairs each morning at 9, Wagging his greeting at every office door, Sharing his joy of belonging, Having a place. Happy had been on the move, Now he keeps to the upper floor, Adopted by successive volunteers, ...