Poetry and faith, life and death …

… Teachings by Win Bassett. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

I’ll call him Joe. On our second visit, Joe had me weeping. After telling me more details about how someone shot him with an assault rifle, how his hospitalization hurt the business at his auto shop, and how the traveling back and forth from home exhausts his wife, I said to him, “You don’t seem like you’re angry at all.” Joe told me he’s not. “The first thing I did was to forgive that boy.” Behind wet eyes, I told Joe that it’s rare to encounter someone who actually does what Jesus told us to do. And I rethought Wiman’s line about last bastions.