From the Psalter:

So teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

(From the Daily Office Lectionary [Morning Psalm] – Psalm 90:12 (BCP Version) – August 9, 2014)

Dog Washed in Tomato Juice“In the tragedies in Iraq, Western Africa and Gaza, the waters of chaos are overwhelming us. My personal response right now is to keep my eyes on our Lord. My prayers ascend for all. Save us Lord.”

— The Rt. Rev. Nicholas Knisely, Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island (posted as a Facebook status this morning)

This prayer and its good advice from the bishop dovetails with the morning psalm. Keep our eyes on the Lord that God may teach us and we may apply our hearts to wisdom. Because what we’ve been applying our hearts to hasn’t been working.

I wrote a poem about that a few days ago: it’s entitled Tomato Juice Bombs

“Tomato juice!”
Every time the dog
encounters a skunk
and ends up stinking
to high heaven
of volatile compounds
and skunk musk
the cry goes up,
“Tomato juice!”

It doesn’t really work.
Those near the dog,
washing the dog,
covered themselves
in tomato juice
suffer olfactory fatigue;
they think it works.
“Tomato juice!”
It doesn’t really work.

“Bombs and soldiers!”
Every time the world
encounters fanatics
and ends of stinking
to high heaven
of rocket fuel
and murdered children
the cry goes up,
“Bombs and soldiers!”

It doesn’t really work.
Those near the bombs,
dropping the bombs,
covered themselves
in dirt and blood and smoke
suffer ethical fatigue;
they think it works.
“Bombs and soldiers!”
It doesn’t really work.

Dogs and fanatics,
Skunks and rockets,
Tomato juice bombs,
don’t really work.
It all still stinks
to high heaven.

Please, Lord, help us keep our eyes on you; teach us, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom and learn to do something that works.

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Father Funston is the rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Medina, Ohio.