A shadow cast by something invisible
falls on the white cover of a book
lying on my table, untraceable
shade twisting faintly upwards
like smoke . . . but beyond the window
there is nothing, just this unseen
thing rising between me and the light
of the morning sun coming in
strong as a messenger from God,
like the shadow of St. Raphael
as he used to stand unseeable
by the dazzling waters of Bethesda,
and I look away to find everything else
has suddenly dimmed.
Perhaps
it was only shades of summer heat
rising off the pavers, and not
an Angel of the Lord, but for the life
of me I cannot see a single reason
why it couldn’t have been both.
—J.C. Scharl
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
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