by Andrew Taylor-Troutman

There is no law against such things. – Galatians 5:23

A garden behind the sanctuary was kept
as part of the church’s ministry,
all of the produce given away for free.
Once, the padlock on the tool shed was left
unlocked overnight. An honest mistake.
A volunteer went in search of a spade,
and found blankets on the shed’s floor made 
into a pallet. What would you have done?
The volunteer decided not to tell anyone,
and didn’t lock up when he went home.
That night, like always, he prayed
the prayer that Jesus had taught to pray;
but now “trespass” didn’t seem like a sin—
rather a calling to let someone in.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of Gently Between the Words: Essays and Poems. He is the pastor and head of staff at Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church in North Carolina. These poems were originally written for Sunday worship services.