#100: Where love has no way that’s better

 Thank you to anyone that's encouraged me to write (I see you Drew Tan), helped me write a poem (Chris Tan and Drew Tan), edited a work I've written ((Donald Westbrook), memorized and recited (my wonderful niece Hannah and nephew Caleb), and cheered me on along the way and provided great and meaningful feedback (my fiancé Kelly). 

Thank you to anyone that stumbles across these poems. May you find encouragement, inspiration, fun, and joy. 

The family

The seasons of this world spiral downward 

The hope of mankind’s peace is all but lost 

We have hardened the hearts of our precious children 

Turned them cold as the ice and the frost

So I cry mercy aloud to my redeemer 

To wash away the wretchedness of my heart 

To carry me across this arid desert 

To the place where His glory’s set apart 

This is the place where His grace is expressed 

Where love has no way that’s better 

We can be with our God in heaven 

And dwell in His house forever 

 Hallelujah 

#99: Beauty of the Redeemed

Why does God love us? We don't deserve God's love. But here it is for us to experience. God loves us, because God is love. As for our ability to love. It's not in what we can do, or what we project as our image. Love and it's capacity for good has nothing to do with status and everything to do with willingness and desperation.

Above the surface 

Is a plastic smile

He puts on his mask 

To hide what’s defiled

For beneath the surface 

Hides a pitiful soul

A broken life 

That has taken its toll

He manages his surface 

with careful preparation

As his soul descends down 

Towards desperation

It’s within our depths 

That true man lies

When he sees his soul; 

That true man cries

He calls out 

From the depths of his mind

As he witnesses the weakness 

That he can’t put behind

For whom he is 

Needs reparation

This created being 

Cannot endure separation

He is as lost as a ship 

Tossed out to sea

Pummeled by the storm 

That is his own iniquity

Mankind seeks to find 

Hope in redemption

He seeks to find peace 

Purpose and direction

#98: In the Palm of Your Hands

The Lord delights in you. The Lord who created the universe, who knows all and sees all, delights in your existence. Both powerful and personable, God is for you and wants you to know that. You may feel God is distant, or doesn't exist at all. Or you may feel that God is disappointed in you because of something you've done or failed to do. But God does not count your shortcomings against you. He delights in you and want's you to share in the joy that was made for you to partake in. To know God is to know His son Jesus who came to this place so that you can know God without any inhibition.

The Last Supper by Da Vinci

In the palm of your hands

The oceans were made

By your outstretched hands

The heavens were laid

Through your nail pierced hands

My sins are paid

From your guiding hands

You lead me to your grace

So what is this love?

Who is this God?

This is perfect love

You are my God

From your thunderous voice

You lit up the sky

By your mighty voice

You let the birds to fly

Through your tender voice

You respond to my cry

In your compassionate voice

Your son came down to die

#97: Will you marry me?

What a fantastic day! While in Espresso Cielo, the coffee shop that we first met in exactly nine months ago, I had the privilege of proposing to the love of my life, Kelly Joiner. I gave her a box of poems and encouragement notes written by her family and friends. Included in the box was the below  acrostic.

What is the meaning of life in this land?
Is it to love and live as best we can?
Lo and behold, it is so much more,
Love is the root of us at our core.

You understand what the Lord has conceived
On embracing how love must first be received
Under God’s word, you live what you believe

My very best, I choose to give to you
All of my life, from now till it is through
Reflecting on that which could not be greater
Redeemed by a grace given by our creator
You demonstrate how great love can be

My love, may I ask, “Will you marry me?”
Enter in to a union of matrimony?

The poem

She said "Yes!"

#96: The Breaking Point

If you embrace God's grace, you do not need to fear judgment. I tell myself this all the time, but I have trouble believing it. 

I recently found myself depressed but was struggling with understanding why. For all intents and purposes, I am very content with things. I have an amazing girlfriend, a steady job that I enjoy, great friends, an awesome family. I struggled through it with my girlfriend and she prayed this for me, "that if this depression is from the devil, that it be cast out, and if this depression is from God, that it's purpose be understood." 

She then let me borrow a book by Henri Nouwen called The Inner Voice of Love. In it, there was this line, "Your many human needs for affection, attention, and consolation are living apart from your divine sacred space. your call is to let these two parts of yourself come together again."

That line was an epiphany for me. That is where God was speaking to me, reminding me not to let the blessings of God take the place in my soul that is fulfilled by God Himself. 

You look in my eyes

And my eyes dart away

I’m afraid you’ll see inside

Afraid you’ll see my pain

So I hide, or I run away

Looking for an escape

I want to be on my own

But I can’t live my life alone

As the tears fall on my face

Please let the rain wash them away

Then you won’t see my heart ache

Everything will seem okay

But you are the knight that can pierce the dark

And fill this hole inside my heart

And you are the radiant prince

The chosen one who’ll cleanse my sins

So please set me free

Please sanctify me

Please win this war

For my soul needs you more and more

#95: The Other Side of Sorrow

Loss is a certainty and grief is an inevitability. That is a consequence of loving people deeply. But it is worth it. It is worth it to make deep connections and to love and care for your friends. It is worth it to love and allow yourself to be loved. Loss is meaningful and painful when life is full of meaning and love. 

At Eternity's Gate by Vincent Van Gogh

On loving someone my very best… I will behest

A reprieve from her eternal rest

A lost love will forever bequeath… such bountiful grief

Its melancholy mood won’t ever be brief.

Of the grand feeling of love so sure… pain will endure

But that is proof it ever so pure

The sun will arise each bright new day… as memories decay

The pain of loss moves farther away.

But genuine love will often bestow… misery only love can know

From there a river of tears will flow

Of life so meaningful and hallowed… the one I followed

At her deaths end I weep and wallow.

As grief is a pain from time we borrow

But still, the other side of sorrow… is tomorrow

#94: Hope

It looks like I’ve stumbled into an unknown land
Where liars prevail and crookedness stands
I’ve fallen for the scent of material things
Though my spirit and soul are immaterial beings
This is the part of me they say to ignore
For it will leave me searching and wanting more
For the things that I desire are the things that I see
And if I work hard enough these things will be for me
As if my contentment could be found in my gains
These material things could be washed by the rains
My situation will grow from bad to worse
As I recount my life, every line every verse.
For the moment I die, I’m back where I started
From this material world, my soul hath departed
My body is buried and my treasure is rusted
My soul and my spirit found no one to trust in
But before that moment of separation comes
Contemplate the hope of the redeeming one
For hope crawls to the place where your soul is buried
It carries your spirit though it is heavy and weary
For your soul and your body united can shine
And the empty materialism will be left behind
And when your body fades into the ground
Your soul and your spirit are heavenly bound
For hope and love are the songs we sing
Of a land forthcoming, of mysterious things

Faith, Hope & Charity by George Frederic Watts

#93: Glass House

Your stance on homosexuality. It's one issue today that is sure to offend someone no matter which view you hold. A recent article in Time magazine regarding InterVarsity's policy on their staff's view of homosexuality has led to quite a shake up. You can read it on the link below.

http://time.com/4521944/intervarsity-fellowship-gay-marriage/

The one positive that comes from this tension is that it forces us to examine why we believe what we believe. Are homosexuals sinners? Yes, as are heterosexuals. Does God love homosexuals? You bet he does. He loves them so much he would send his son Jesus to die for their sins. God created each and every one of us in His image and adores and loves us. 

The controversy that Christians face is their understanding of the act of homosexuality and if that is to be considered a sin itself. For those that say it is a sin, they will hear that their view is discriminatory and judgmental. For those that say it is not a sin, they will hear that their view is not in line with scripture and contributes to the moral decay of our society. 

Below is a poem written from the point of view of a homosexual who has decided to follow Jesus. I am no expert myself on the subject, but I would gather that someone who is both Christian and homosexual, that they may feel stuck between two worlds. 

Built up around me

This house of glass

I didn't even realize

It happened so fast

There is no exit

No way out

There isn't much room

To move about

I can see the world

And the world sees me

The light shines through

But I can’t go free

I cry out

For a hand, a stone

Shatter this reality

This prison’s not home

The glass house represents the societal constructs that we place around people. Whether it be race, sexuality, job status, religion. In this particular situation, it would be one's sexuality which creates a tension between their religion and their sexuality. The societal construct traps them and even though they are searching for freedom, they can't be free. 

#92: Beginningless

What is the nature of that which came before the beginning?

Pillars of Creation

Formless
Shapeless
Of the nothingness...
All that could be
Came from all that’s ever been
For what has never been
Will never be...
To begin is to be finite
To never begin is eternity
For what came from before
Came without beginning...
To be endless
And to be beginningless
That is true divinity

#91: The Fallen World

Written back in 2007, the worlds changed, but it's still the same

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/04/middleeast/aleppo-syria-civil-war/

Here stands the world in its fallen state

Where white lies and pettiness transform into hate

Where we build up walls to hide from our fate

My blackened heart buys into the emptiness

Afraid to seek what’s really inside of us

What could possibly be our original purpose?

For the things I've seen are perverted and twisted

The deprivation of man shines with our hatred

We’re separated from what’s pure and sacred

We’re separated by an eternal day

We owe a debt that we cannot repay

For we defiled what is perfect and made it unclean

We have stolen our innocence and left our spirit demeaned

We feast on our flesh as children die

We feast on our flesh as poor men cry

We feast on our flesh and live for the day

Shallow and hollow we respect what we earn

But the depths of our soul seeks the eternal

Redemption, redemption is the only way for my soul’s sake

Redemption, redemption, is the only way for mankind’s sake

When judgment comes to sweep up the nations

When enemy upon enemy take up battle stations

All of our hiding places will quickly burn

All of our children will have nowhere to turn

For our gift to them is wrath and our names have been cursed

All that could possibly be good will have already dispersed

For we believe in ourselves and wage our wars

In hopes that our injustice will give us more

#90: Sprouts of Denial

During relationship counseling, I had the privilege of going through an exercise of inner healing prayer. I had never done this before and found it to be extremely helpful in identifying issues in my life that are deeply rooted. Going beyond that, it gave me an opportunity to address those things and give them to Jesus. Although an intense experience and supremely humbling, it was also very freeing and gave me a greater awareness of myself and my struggles. 

The best thing that happened in this time was giving the darker parts of my life to Jesus. I learned how to reject and renounce the lies in my head that were robbing me of the joy that the Lord desires. When you have a moment, I would recommend asking the Lord to reveal what lies may be stuck in your heart that are robbing you of the full joy that God has for you. 

Thank you to my girlfriend Kelly and to Doug and Sandy who initiated the inner healing time. 

Below is a poem I wrote a few years ago about doubt. I believe doubt is the cause of a lot of the pain that I allowed in to my life. The opposite of doubt is belief. When I believe in God, and believe in people, then I am able to experience the full joy that God has in store. 

Denial, denial, sprouts out from doubt

Don’t, please don’t water those weeds

Pick it out, pick out what is rooted in doubt

And in the soil plant the good seeds

Let the sun shine, let the rain fall

Let the good soil cover it all

Grow into a garden, where flowers flourish in bloom

#89: Bound

"Better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven." Satan from John Milton's Paradise Lost.

Satan's sin began with the decision to serve himself instead of God. Satan did not however take power on his own accord, it was allowed to him by God. Satan may have power for a time, but God will reign for eternity.

Bound by my sin and restless within
I’m haunted by nothingness,
Hopelessness and helplessness

Trapped in my cell where sinful men dwell
I’m surrounded by brokenness,
Lifelessness and wretchedness

As darkness is won and my efforts undone
I’m left with my restlessness
Sinfulness and nothingness

Forever lost, forever bound
Chained by my vices, buried in the ground.

#88: Masterpieces

Michelangelo's Creation of Adam

We think we’re real

We think we’re complete

But that is a lie

Covered by our conceit

We act like we’re fine

Like everything’s okay

We act like we’re strong

With our problems at bay

We thank ourselves

For the things we've done

But forget to praise God

For the morning sun

We’re stuck in a rut

In our nine to five

We think we are righteous

But that is a lie

We walk over the stranger

Who’s fallen down

We show no emotion

Not even a frown

Is this our life?

Do we live for ourselves?

Is life this lonely?

Could this be hell?

Is this the plan

God has intended?

Our souls have been broken

Yet meant to be mended

We are his creation

We are all masterpieces

But we are incomplete

Until we find Jesus

Life becomes beautiful

Our gains become lost

His masterpieces signed

To cover our cost

Now we must look on

To the battle ahead

Many hearts are wounded

Many souls are dead

They’re all looking for life

But are poisoned by sin

They long to be saved

And let a new life begin

#87: Breathe in me

Have you ever prayed the prayer to become a Christian? When you did, did you expect things to fall in to place and your life to be peachy and fun from that day on? And then that very day you sinned in some minuscule way and felt terrible about it? Like you questioned your decision to follow Christ and your own sincerity in that very moment? 

I know how you feel. When I sin, I want to either hide or run away, but that feeling of guilt is not a sentencing of guilt, it is the Holy Spirit convicting you so God can do a mighty work to and through you. 

A great question to ask your self after you sin is "Now what?"

And the answer, is to turn to God and ask for forgiveness. Cru has a great resource for this as explained in their "Spirit-filled Life"  booklets called Spiritual Breathing. 

https://www.cru.org/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/the-spirit-filled-life.html

Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.

1. Exhale -- confess your sin -- agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.
2. Inhale -- surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18, and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.

Here is a poem I wrote many years ago about breathing in the spirit. 

Here I am, in need of you

The only way I can be made new

My life is filthy and unclean

I cannot hide, expose my need

I need a savior, redeemer

A provider and friend

Who brings peace and joy

So my heart can mend

You breathe in me, and make me whole

Pure and perfect, you cleanse my soul

Your word is complete, etched in me

My soul, my heart, my life set free

#86: A Single Knock

A single knock

It's echo will fade 

In time

But time is forever

So what of the knock?

What came of it?

A door was opened

But only for a moment

What came of that moment?

A greeting was shared

Pleasantries expressed

Then the moment faded

Into infinity

Yet each moment begets the next moment

And the next begets the moment after that

And on and on and on it goes

That single knock

It's echo is never ending

Insignificant things become significant when you peal back the layers of existence. Every part no matter how big or small makes up our vast universes existence in this specific moment in time. Every interaction with every particle from the beginning of time (whenever that was) to the present time is what constitutes our present reality. And the interactions that take place now will impact the future for all time until the end of time. 

#85: Of King’s and Commoners

With the 2016 election having been in full swing for what feels like the past year and a half it is about time to make a decision. For me, I'll be deciding based on who best fits the description in the poem below, granted whoever wins won't become king/queen, but still.

My hope for our next President is that they are characterized by an ability to lead with humility and grace. That they help conditions for the lower and middle class along with improving our relationship with foreign countries where the relationship is strained. I hope that they are true to their word and are sensible with their promises and proclamations. In short, whichever candidate is more like Jesus.

If power is great that a single man wields
Then it is imperative that he go down to the fields
To see the laborers, do they work with pride?
Or are they simmering with anger on the inside?
If the king cannot observe and discern
About the greatest of his laborers’ concern
Then that king does not belong on the throne
For he must serve the will of the laborers, not his own

#84: Forgive me for my lack of trust

In the Bible, in the book of Ephesians, the author Paul makes one of the most profound statements ever made. He says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."

So what is grace? It is unmerited favor. 

Why is it so key to understanding God's love? Because we can't experience God's love on our own merit. Having a relationship with God begins by receiving God's grace, and from there, it never ends. But in this life, here on this earth, grasping this concept is difficult. Not because the concept is abstract but because it stands in contrary to how the world works.

On earth, honest people earn things. They work hard and they get what they deserve. A dishonest person may cheat or lie to get ahead, but when they don't play by the world's rules, their dishonesty fails them. But to know and experience God has nothing to do with earning it and everything to do with accepting the grace that God gives.

So an honest man cannot know God unless he accepts God's grace, same as a dishonest man. So why then is it still a struggle to grasp God's love even after accepting God's perfect grace? Probably because it take's time for that grace to transform us. We still adhere to how it works here on earth. We're trying to earn our grace even though its not necessary or even possible. 

Life may get busy

But I can’t be excused

For the grace that’s been given

The grace I've abused

It more precious then gold

This grace that is true

It will still be a part of me

When my life is through

Yet my life is a mess

I've let myself down

My soul is in shambles

I cannot see your crown

My sin takes your cup

Kicks it down in the dirt

My continuous pride

Brings nothing but hurt

But grace is by definition

So perfect and pure

The words of my savior

My savior so sure

#83: Not Mine

If I were to be honest, poems are less like an invention, and more like a discovery. The words existed long before I ever did and they will live on long after I leave this world. And the concepts are forged from either human experience or a swell of madness in my mind. I can't quite grasp why certain ideas pop in to my head but when the inspiration is there, it is a chance to seize the creative opportunity. If the inspiration was born out of experience, I thank God for the experience, if it was born out of madness, I thank God for the inspiration.

Once the inspiration is there, it's stuck in my head until I put it to the pen. When it's a great poem, my bones are on fire. The words just rush in to my head and fit like puzzle pieces. Eventually though, the inspiration gives way to reality. A word comes along that expresses my point but does not fit the form. I could maybe come up with a lesser word, or try to rearrange the words to make it fit. Or I could just delete that line altogether. When it's a good line but it doesn't fit, it hurts to remove it. But that line may fit in to another poem someday.

Deleting a good line from a poem is difficult. Finishing  a poem though is the greatest struggle. When the ideas are coming together and the words are fitting, I have to ask myself, "is this the best way to say what I am trying to say?" I could keep asking myself this question over and over but eventually, the poem just needs to be finished. Once finished, I look at the completed work and hope it makes sense when others read it.

Ultimately, a poem is written for two reasons. For the writer to express something, and the reader to understand something in a new light. When I write a poem, it is not for me nor are the words inherently from me. It is in this sense that the poems I write are not mine at all.

As words flow 

I don’t really know 

Where they come from 

The heart will bend 

To paper and pen 

I don’t understand 

All that’s within 

Is more than a whim 

This goes beyond me 

Words from my head 

Of a complex stead 

Are not mine 

#82: Ambiguity Will Ruin Me

It's easy to tell those little lies. You know, the ones that save you the trouble of having to share how you're really doing. It's easier to say you're doing fine even though you're struggling through something. Eventually you'll convince yourself that you're being a good friend by not bringing up your burdens to a loved one. This is an egregious lie. Your good friends will always want to know how you're really doing

Over time, the lying becomes a habit and eventually you will be left hoping no one catches on to what you are struggling through. You begin to live the lies and find yourself constantly hiding a part of who you are. Sure it's not the best part of you, but your true friends want to know the true you and they won't judge you for your flaws. In fact, they'll help you push through your struggles.

So if you find yourself stuck and in hiding, let go of the lies you have been propping up and let your true self be revealed. You'll be surprised by how much love will come your way.

Liu Bolin: Camouflage Artist

I’ve constructed walls that don’t have doors,
To hide the things that the world abhors.
I’ve lost all sense of what makes me free,
I strived to live by ambiguity.

The walls I’ve constructed are made up of lies
In hopes that in some way I can get by.
Without anyone knowing the pain that I feel,
I’ve gone on to live by what is not real.

I hide within, secretly hoping to be found,
Meanwhile my pain just drags me down.
Further into the pit that my own negligence has created,
My friendships have been strained, the closest ones negated.

#81: Through Your Eyes

Have you ever been beaten down and wondered what in the world you are going to do? Have you ever lied on the ground in tears and just felt too weak to move? Have you ever failed so badly that you thought your life was over? Have you felt your stomach twist so much because of things you've done that you felt like damaged goods? Have you ever cried out to God asking how your life became such a mess? 

This poem was written as a response to God's promises in the midst of being at my lowest. With literally nothing to offer except my broken soul, I learned that that is enough. 

Upon reflecting on Isaiah 40, I learned that God is incomparable and that what he values is different from what I value. This world means nothing to Him and His people mean everything to Him.

Ikuo Anazawa's papercraft

I am lonely, and this worlds owns me

But I can’t fall into these ways anymore

I can only fall down onto the floor

In reverence

In awe

Through pain and folly

You call all of me

Let my shaken faith awaken

Let my heart so tender embrace your splendor

Pick me up, higher then the sky

Let me fly from way up above

So I can see the world through your eyes

#80: Schmee and Me

A tribute to the greatest comedy routine ever. The immortal Who's on first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg

At half past a quarter till three

A man named Schmee came to me

And asked how I came to be

I shared my life vividly

And concluded by saying “this is me”

This term Schmee found troubling

He said “you’re not Schmee, I am me”

So I responded “you are you, and I am me.”

So Schmee looked at me confusedly, “If you are you, and I am me,

 Then what are we?”

“Well we are we, and I am me

But you’re not me, can’t you see?”
“Well I can clearly see that you’re not me,

Cause I am me” said Schmee.

“But you yourself you cannot see,

So how do you know that you are me?”

“I’m not you, I am me.

This is clear as one two three,

I don’t need eyes to clearly see,

That you are you and I am me.”

“So of the two,

There’s me and you,

Through and through

And it’s untrue that I am you,

And that itself, is a major clue.”

“Yes, I agree,

Therefore, I can only be me,

And it’s true that you are you,

But it makes no sense to me,

When you claim to be… me.” Said Schmee

“Well this is an interesting game,

For if someone were to call my name

Because something broke and I’m to blame,

And a witness happened to be

Near to me and he claimed that I to be guilty,

And said my name before I could flee

I would respond, ‘that is me.’”

“But don’t you see that you are wrong,

That phrase itself, it doesn’t belong

Because when you say ‘that is me’

It seems you’re saying ‘I am Schmee’.

Besides if you were the bloke

Who was there when something broke,

And someone thought you to be guilty,

And called your name for all to see,

Wouldn’t you say ‘that’s not me’

And flee?

“Well, if I were to be crafty,

 I would likely say ‘I am Schmee’

And then run off before others could see,

That I was not who I claimed to be.

 So the next time I’m having fun,

And I break something while on the run,

And the police ask for my ID,

 I will not say ‘I am me’

Instead I’ll say ‘I am Schmee’ then

I will attempt to flee,

And when they search and look to see,

Where I ran and now happen to be,

My hopes then is that I see you,

And the police will not know what to do,

Because you’ll be Schmee

And I’ll be me,

And when they ask for our IDs

Yours will make you look guilty,

And I will be filled with glee

And walk away scot free.

“I hope then that you’re amused,

Cause I am thoroughly confused.

For if you were to commit a crime,

And I were the one to do the time,

I would make sure to clear my name,

And prove that you were the one to blame.

I’m sure I could make a case

That when the cops eyed my face,

They were mistaken and it will be plain to see,

That you were you and I was me.

I guess then just to be safe,

I’ll take a picture of your face,

So when you commit your crime spree,

And there are photos of your flee,

And when you claim to be me,

I’ll show the photo’s emphatically,

And you’ll be doing one to three

And I’ll be the one that is free. 

#79: Our Nation Groans

The pain of our nation continues.

Our nation groans
It weeps and moans
For it is not as free
As this land should be

A plea for peace
For violence to cease
Our nation's been torn
Where freedom was born

Persecution of black
They are under attack
It is now very clear
That they live in fear

Looking around
I see officers down
Fear and a gun
Leaves us all undone

Black lives matter
Blue lives matter
But now they fight
For our nations plight

What will we do
With black and blue?
If we have to choose
Then we all lose

Can we address our guilt?
Can this land be rebuilt?
Our nation laments
As it seeks to find sense

#78; With Liberty and Justice for All?

Below is an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. 

...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...

Although written on behalf of white colonial men and not society as a whole, this document has significant meaning today. The Declaration of Independence establishes what the United States is about. It is about freedom. But throughout U.S. history, freedom has been withheld more then it has been given. And that is our nations greatest fault. 

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/images/geow.jpg

For whom does freedom ring?

For the merciless Indian savages*? We killed you

For the ones chained in the fields? We branded you like cattle

For the "model minority**"? We never took you seriously

For the one's at the back of the bus? We are still holding you back

For the one's we hired to tend our gardens? We say you stole our jobs 

For the women in the work force? We gave you 79 cents on the dollar

For the refugees from war torn lands? We say you're terrorists

For the ones who came out of the closet? We consider you a disease

For the black man the police pulled over? We claim you're guilty by suspicion (so we shot you)

If freedom and equality is of value, then justice is a paramount requirement

If we see the injustice but stay silent, then how can freedom ring?

*Quote from the Declaration of Independence

**Many Asian American Cultures are considered the model minority

#77: Chained

In America, many of us get everything we need, and almost everything we want instantaneously. If you're reading this, that means you are fortunate enough to have an internet connection. Just over half of the world population currently has no access to the internet. Are you a car owner? Congratulations, you're better off then 91% of the world. But I still get impatient while stopped at a red light, and if my internet stops working, my blood boils. My entitlement spoils the blessings I've been given. The world tells us, MORE MORE MORE and NOW NOW NOW, but what do we really need?

http://www.recoveryoutfitters.org/the-entitlement-trap/

Woe to the injustice that has fallen upon this earth

That was born out of the time of mankind’s birth

Where foolhardy wisdom has shown us the way

To an indebtedness that we cannot repay

We are trapped in a land of continuous sorrow

Where darkness reigns and nothing is hallowed

The emptiness of regret and the sting of fear

Blind us from seeing the blessings that the Lord has brought near

As rain falls from the sky gently to the ground

And the sun shines brightly on everything around

Entitlement becomes our undignified response

We claim to deserve this, with pride and pomp

We tilled the dirt and laid the seed

But we did not create the things we need.

#76: A Beggar

Have you ever noticed the way a beggar positions his hands? It is in such a way to receive a gift from someone above. This is a posture that is important as human beings, to be willing to receive something when asking for help. It is not an easy posture to take as it requires much humility. I know we tend to look down on beggars, and pity them, but there is much to learn from how they ask and receive. 

The desires of this life shackles my soul

Now I am just a beggar

With nothing to offer

Now I am just a beggar

With nowhere left to go

Now I am just a beggar

Who will sell his soul

Could anyone love a beggar

Who lives the life of a fool?

There’s nothing left in me

Except a poor man

There’s nothing left in me

Except a bitter heart

There’s nothing left in me

Except a wretched soul

If there’s nothing left in me

Then what can make me whole?