© 2007-2008 John Thornburg
On the occasion of the ordination of Anne Cubbage with grateful appreciation
Thank God for Those with Mason’s Skill
LM
Thank God for those with mason’s skill
who build secure, protective walls
to keep the wind and cold at bay
and shelter us from nature’s squalls.
A wall retains and fortifies
with brick and mortar, stone or wood,
but God’s own people seldom ask,
“When is a wall no earthly good?”
Too many walls that humans build
divide, restrict, and segregate;
allowing us to fantasize
that “they” are gone, and “we” are safe.
But Jesus comes when human hands
are calloused as their frightened hearts,
then, with the sledge of love’s demand,
he breaks the fear-drenched wall apart.