2015.09.29: the accused

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have salvation and power come,
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Anointed.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who accuses them before our God day and night.” – Rev 12:10

he who accuses
seeks to draw attention
away from himself
and his unwillingness
to obey the will of God

he who is blameless
seeks to draw to himself
all the accusations
and stands in surrogate
to the judgment of the world
completely surrendering
to the will of God

he who is Anointed
builds the bridge
from earth to heaven
for in his dying
he conquers death

He is the truth
that shows the Way
to Life everlasting
through the path
of complete surrender:
the Way of the Cross

2015.09.28: return the child

Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” – Lk 9:47-48

 
i want to return to
the time of the child
when food, shelter, and love
was enough

the time before knowledge
of my nakedness
and inadequacies

the time before
expectations
from within
and without

the time before
what i wore
where i lived
how i travelled and worked
who my friends were
didn’t matter

the time
before anxiety
before fear of failure
before greed
and the need
to be the greatest

the time
when being the least
was enough

the time
when being a child
was enough

the time
when i felt loved
just for being
who i was

that was when
i was the greatest
and the closest
to paradise

i want to return
to being a child
again

please return

the child

2015.09.27: inclusively good

Jesus said to his disciples, “For whoever is not against us is for us.” – Mk 9:40

there is one source
from which all goodness flows
whether or not the fountain knows

any good that is done
comes from the one source
whether or not the doer believes

there are many rivers
that follow different courses
but empty into the one ocean

everyone who are pilgrims
may travel divergent paths
but all end at one destination

there are many nations
that spring from many places
but only one father of all

all who are of good will
are brothers and sisters for us
and are not against us

2015.09.26: exclusively wrong

See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD. Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day, and they shall be his people and he will dwell among you. – 1 Zec 2:14-15

 
God dwells with his people
He calls many nations to himself
He includes all.

To exclude others is to exclude God.
Holding ourselves apart from others
means cutting ourselves from his presence.

2015.09.25: in our midst

This is the commitment I made to you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit remains in your midst; do not fear! 1 Hg 2:5

the Spirit of the Lord
is ever with us
even while in exile
far from our homeland

yet we know him not
even when the Word of the Lord
took on flesh and became man
becoming the model temple

we seek to know God with our mind
we sing his praises with our lips
yet we keep shut the door
to the temples of our hearts

little do we understand
the tenant can’t keep out the owner
let alone the architect and builder
he knows every nook and cranny

yet ever gentle he respects our will
but a parent never quits trying
only waiting for the stillness
to tug softly from the inside