a listening to some new witness
bidding within,
any hard going back
to where in a rootless time
you quit,
as Bonhoeffer left life in New York
to return to his death in a Nazi jail,
so that now it’s your turn
at the bitter feast of eating crow,
saying I’m sorry
to every cynical hello
after your selfish goodbye; If God is any great returning,
your soul’s yearning,
lobely and longing
for the path lost or deserted,
for cause dropped from infancy
as too childish, too hard, too frail,
too sure to fail to bother,
but now of your life,
your death; If God is any great returning
and your burning soul
has spun your compass about
so that you are finally en route home
like the prodigal,
then go quickly
expecting to feast with the Father
even though your wining brother
may not yet dine with you
and in truth
awaits proof, even as he should,
that you are really home
for good.
Dear Reader,
You have a decision to make: double or nothing.
For this week only, a generous supporter has offered to fully match all new and increased donations to First Things up to $60,000.
In other words, your gift of $50 unlocks $100 for First Things, your gift of $100 unlocks $200, and so on, up to a total of $120,000. But if you don’t give, nothing.
So what will it be, dear reader: double, or nothing?
Make your year-end gift go twice as far for First Things by giving now.
