To the Woman at the Memorial for My Deceased Aunt Who Asked Me Why I Had Not Accepted Jesus as My Lord and Savior Hours After Eleven Worshippers Were Gunned Down at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh

I know you believe you are doing God’s work when you ask me
“Are you a Christian?” and instantly retort to my “No” with “Why not?”

I know you do not know how the hairs stand up on the back of my neck
when first you question my failure to embrace Jesus as my Lord and Savior
and then interrupt with that world-weary “Ahhh ...” as I say,
“Well, my mother’s family was Jewish— ”