Soup Kitchen Jesus

We fed Jesus at the soup kitchen last night.

He was a pregnant young woman

            with a toddler in her arms.

He was a smiling old man with long white hair

            and trembling hands.

I was there with some friends from our church:

            Janet, Debbie, Louise, 

                        Joy, Tanner, Delanie,

                                    Steve, Rick, and Rich.

Ten of us served baked ziti and salad

            (and 5 gallons of milk)

                        to about 100 people

                                    at the Frederick Soup Kitchen

                                                on All Saints Street.

Most of them were polite and said thank you.

The building used to be a railway station,

            and Abe Lincoln gave a speech there once.

We baked and prepared, then served,

            and finally washed the dishes

                        and mopped the floor.

I had forgotten how much fun it was.

            I came home bone tired.

Jesus said, “…whatever you did

            for one of the least of these brothers of mine,

                        you did for me.”

                                    (Matthew 25:40)