Who Should
and Shouldn’t
(“If your whole body is full of light and not
darkness, it will be as bright as a lamp shining on you.” Luke 11:36)
Do you
know how to see reflections in the water,
Do you know how to hear the voice of God in the wind?
Have you seen the faces, the hands, the portraits,
Do you know how to hear the voice of God in the wind?
Have you seen the faces, the hands, the portraits,
The
lands occupied over and over again; and then
the present generation claims them as their own.
the present generation claims them as their own.
Do you
think you invented the Mississippi,
Did you create the Rio Grande?
Did you spin the earth, grind its soil,
transplant the seeds, while drawing lines
in the middle of rivers, across ancient boundaries,
separating the kingdoms you conquered
and declaring them your own?
Did you create the Rio Grande?
Did you spin the earth, grind its soil,
transplant the seeds, while drawing lines
in the middle of rivers, across ancient boundaries,
separating the kingdoms you conquered
and declaring them your own?
Did you
do it with a cross before you,
with a bible in your hands?
Did you pretend god was on-your-side
because your guns were better,
your powder drier,
your faces whiter,
your boats bigger,
your English the sure language of god?
with a bible in your hands?
Did you pretend god was on-your-side
because your guns were better,
your powder drier,
your faces whiter,
your boats bigger,
your English the sure language of god?
The
badlands glowed with spectral beauty
before your eyes every beheld them.
The rivers swelled at the moon’s invitation
before you ever knew their motion.
The plains swayed, the grains waved like the ocean,
the Rockies reached toward the sun before
you ever named them.
before your eyes every beheld them.
The rivers swelled at the moon’s invitation
before you ever knew their motion.
The plains swayed, the grains waved like the ocean,
the Rockies reached toward the sun before
you ever named them.
Who are
you to say to the millions whose tongue
does not match your own,
does not match your own,
“here,
and no further, we have drawn our lines in the sand.”?
Your
light is failing, your eyes too narrow,
your sight is blindness, your night you call day
will soon give way to
the glory of the One who
your sight is blindness, your night you call day
will soon give way to
the glory of the One who
Spoke it
all into being before the first strand
of DNA was woven into all that is living.
Dare the One who hovers over creation,
speak with impunity if you think you know so well
who should and shouldn’t cross the river,
who should and shouldn’t share your town.
of DNA was woven into all that is living.
Dare the One who hovers over creation,
speak with impunity if you think you know so well
who should and shouldn’t cross the river,
who should and shouldn’t share your town.
But do
not speak of Christ while you
sing about boundaries of greatness,
foundries of weapons,
sainthood of hatred and
western culture as if it was the
brainchild of god.
sing about boundaries of greatness,
foundries of weapons,
sainthood of hatred and
western culture as if it was the
brainchild of god.
Sink a
while in your darkness and
let the light that is love divine
(All Loves Excelling)
open your dry eyes to
the idols you’ve adopted. Let
them come crashing down so
the shadows they’ve cast can
become light in the face of the
Perfection of compassion.
let the light that is love divine
(All Loves Excelling)
open your dry eyes to
the idols you’ve adopted. Let
them come crashing down so
the shadows they’ve cast can
become light in the face of the
Perfection of compassion.
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