We carry our small griefs like stones in pockets.
We rub them smooth with worry, thumb their cold
solidity, and palm their petty weight.
At work, in restaurants, with husbands or with wives,
we warm them in our hands, their prattle low
and light against our thighs. Deep down, we know
there’s so much more to lose, that in the night
a telephone can ring, or a cry might come
from a darkened room and send us running
into a new and empty life. These stones
will spill across the hardwood floors, their rain
unnoticed in the stillness of the house.
—Rob Griffith
Time is short, so I’ll be direct: FIRST THINGS needs you. And we need you by December 31 at 11:59 p.m., when the clock will strike zero. Give now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things does not hesitate to call out what is bad. Today, there is much to call out. Yet our editors, authors, and readers like you share a greater purpose. And we are guided by a deeper, more enduring hope.
Your gift of $50, $100, or even $250 or more will bring this message of hope to many more people in the new year.
Make your gift now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things needs you. I’m confident you’ll answer the call.
