How Beautiful

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Jerusalem - James Tissot


How beautiful,
the temple.
Built to honor Yahweh,
by a people,
any people,
all who would lower their heads
in prayer
one moment,
and cheat their brother
the next.

How frightening,
not a single stone laid to rest
on another.
Signs of destruction
on every horizon.
A people led off as slaves
without a home,
without a building of stone
to offer homage.

How beautiful,
a faith needing no structure,
a faith needing only a word,
printed on the heart.
How beautiful,
a faith without boundaries,
where the heathen
are welcomed,
and the pious
are unmasked.



copyright 2025 - Donald P James Jr

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