Post by Fr David Neuhaus SJ | 20 December 2025
Sunny Morgan, South African activist, a voice crying out for justice and peace in Palestine, composed this poem. It is a cry to wake up in our parishes and communities.
There’s a pastor at the pulpit preaching a sermon about Baby Jesus in his basket of reed
He doesn’t see the baby Jesus
told him to feedThere’s a choir singing
Oh, come all you faithful
But the front row seats are all taken by the haughty
There’s a kid whimpering in front from a hunger pang,
And the want of milk
The deacon shouts
don’t be naughty!
As he strokes his sash of silk
Oblivious to hymns they sang
The words in the air still hangThere is a mother hiding her hurt
Pushing her empty basket under her skirt
The baby still cries
She sings the words
In earnest need,
The collection plate
Passes her,
She remembers all
All the empty plates
Confirming her sorry state
The tears begin to stir.In the back there is new visitor
In here barely seen
In streets offer been,
He hear the cries and the hunger pangs,
He waits, who will stir?
Seeing none, he leaves
On the way out he shakes
The dirt off his feet,The preacher blesses
With the sign of the cross
And the words, Go in peace.Sunny Morgan
dec 2025