Mysterious Theologian: Pastor Amy Kienzle of Messiah and St. John’s Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, NY.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are parasites that feed on blood and choose the convenient and warm location of their host’s bed as their place of residence. They are not exclusively nocturnal but are most active at night, perhaps because that is when their meal is delivered in the form of a sleeping human. They feast unnoticed, leaving behind tell-tale bite marks on legs and backs that are visible when the person awakes. Infestations of bed bugs are difficult to eradicate, which makes them particularly terrifying to discover.

Prayer to the Bed Bug

O, Illusive Bed Bug, many days my waking hours are spent wandering in a hazy slumber of meaninglessness and a sense of futility. In this state of unconscious drudgery I often find it hard to know you are there, until in a glimmer of recognition I am bitten by the awareness of how you lurk hidden in the cracks and crevices of my broken life. Your invasive grace is difficult to eradicate; it infests my restless spirit with hope and promise, wakening me to the truth of your constant presence. Feast on me again this day. Amen.

Challenge

Amy is challenging Pastor Emily Scott of St. Lydia’s in Brooklyn, NY with:

Subway Pole at the End of the Day

In the “City that Never Sleeps” the subway is a place of bustling non-stop activity. Those poles strategically placed for our safety play host to all kinds of invisible creatures thanks to the thousands of hands grasping throughout the day. We grab hold with trepidation, but the choice is sometimes one of fall now or be sick later.