I ran into Jesus yesterday
near the homeless shelter
he looked tired 
and his hands were dirty
from washing the feet 
of a drunken man
who had stepped on a broken, discarded bottle
the glass lodged up inside
the tattered sole of his shoe

he smiled and laughed
and said
he preferred the dirt 
it connected him to the earth
and reminded him he was here 
to serve and to heal

we sat down on a bench
he looked deep into my eyes
the dam broke and I cried
as I grieved for the state of the world
for all who are suffering and afraid
the young, brilliant women who want to make their own decisions
the immigrant families who want to feel safe and contribute to their communities
the transgendered who just want to be heard and understood
the black people whose history is being swept under the rug with the crumbs

he reached over and wiped the tears from my cheeks
and said it’s ok to cry and to be angry
the tables will be flipped but not yet
he reminded me that when he was killed
the first time
his message of love and acceptance 
was threatening to the powerful and to those who believed they had control
so they nailed him to a tree

look around you, he told me,
the kingdom of God is at hand
right here and right now
you don’t receive it when you die
like an award in a trophy case
you receive it now
with humility, grace, and service
I am here
I am now
I AM