Friday, September 14, 2018

Read This

Cant you hear
As I do
The cry
Of read this
But don’t read that

Believe this
Not that

Do this
Not that

Say this
Don’t dare
To say that

Be this way
Look this way
Behave like this

This is cool
Hip
Outrageously cool
While that
Is old
Hurtful
Yesterday
Passee

Seems like
A lot of control
A lot of demands
To be
In the in-crowd

What a dizzying mess

How about this...
Just be yourself
And if you have to do
Then do the right thing
And if you need
To throw out names
How about
Calling others
Friend
Neighbor
Buddy
Brother
Sister
Mate

Why so decisive
So much hate
So much
You on one side
And I’m on the other
Or
I’m right
And you’re wrong
Are we back
In kindergarten?

Good people say good things
Good things
That help
Heal
Promote
Influence
Not for
Selfish gain
But to encourage
Lift up
Help

Why not
Follow
The Way of Christ

How was He
Humble
Giving
Sharing
Loving
Correcting
Standing
For truth
Died for others

I’m this
We have much
To learn

A better way

The time has come
To run this race
And face our fears
And trust
Truly trust
Christ our king

For all around
On tube
Or airwaves around
Comes the sound
Of lawlessness

Have you seen it
Heard it
Read
Of Judges doing
What law says not
Deciding for themselves
According to their
Opinion
To follow
The President
Of the land

Or leaders
(If some deem
Them as such)
Telling the Law
To look
The other way
Follow not the
Order
Do not protect
Enforce
Carry out
The Law

But instead
Follow your feelings
Or
The blow horn
Of popular opinion
Or
Do what is right
In your own eyes

In this
Law and justice
Right and wrong
The left and right
Become intangled
In words
And yelling
As curses abound

This is the world
The world
Without law
Unprotected
Unguided
A mish-mash
Of sides and arguments
That slowly tear
The fabric
Of morality
Justice
And logic

All this good to know
But saint
Follower of Christ
All this distracts
And attacks
The order
We live
And work in

But these fights
These arguments
Are not ours
For we are
Passing by
Pilgrims
Strangers
Wanderers
Seeking a better
Country
Home
Dwelling place
A place In Christ

Let’s keep our eyes
On Christ
And let the world
Go where it may
And proclaim
A better way
A better gospel
The way of hope
The way of grace



An Argument for Christ

An Argument for Christ

How do we let go
Say no
To that
Which captured us 
So long ago (Psalm 51:5)

And if captured
Then are we free
Or slaves (Romans 6:20)
To something
Known 
Or
Unknown 
To us (2 Corinthians 4:4)

In this
Our unknown
Lives on
Because we allow it
We live in it (John 3:19-20)

And drink of it’s poison 
Believing
Deceiving ourselves
That change

Is too painful 
Frightful
Too much
Too costly

And so in fear
And loathing
And anguish 
We exist with

Each passing day

As if
Our distortion 
Of reality
Is reality
And that our prison 
Is more horrid
Or more elegant
That yours
Or the next person

“We’ll change tomorrow”
But tomorrow becomes
Our past
And our cycle
Of denial 
And excuse
Refuses to yield 
To the truth

A truth we’ve faintly
Heard of
Locked in pages
Bound in black 
With a name it’s central figure
A name
Blasphemous 
In today’s truth
The name
Jesus Christ

(And now I’ve done it
Wrote a name
Of the religious
The stuck up
The Holier-than-thou
The  supposed better than you
But hear me out
Give this a chance
Just chill
And consider

For a moment here
Can we focus on Christ
And not those
Who claim
To be called by His name
Or those who steal
Millions “in his name”
Or those who
Are suppose to safeguard
But who hurt 
And abuse
All these who claim
The name of
Christian

Are all Christians
This way
Certainly not
Are all police officers
Law abiding
Or
All lawyers
Or politicians
Squeaky clean?

These are
Stereotypes 
And they
Are not the truth
But a mixture
Of truth
Falsehoods
Superstition 
And
Assumptions

And the world is full
Of assumptions
Deception
Deceit
Corruption 

But of these names
None can be tied
To Christ

None 

Isn’t that a difference
A marked and profoundly 
Line of difference

Between the behavior 
Of mankind
And the behavior 
Of Christ

The character of one
And of the other

If so
If that be the case
Then why is Christ
Not considered

Why is He ignored
Displaced 
Put out of mind
Locked away 
Behind pulpit
Between the covers
Of The Book

Is it shame
Is humanity ashamed
Of Christ
Is that why 
He’s a castaway 

Why
Because like a lamb
He went to the slaughter 
Because he helped
And healed
And cared
Shared
And gave
Forgave
Loved
Died
For us 

Or is it disdain
Do we despise
Jesus
Because His 
Righteousness
Uncovers
Our darkness

His difference
Sinlessness
Righteousness 
Holiness
God likeness

What comes to mind
Or
Heart

What are your thoughts

And can you trust
Your thoughts

I mean 
Have we established 
The infallibility 
Of Christ
Measured against
The fallibility 
Of us all

What should we 
Conclude
Or 
Determine
Or
Resolve

Then
Does Christ
Deserve 
More consideration
Study

Or be dismissed
Again