A lot of us are so angry. Angry that our inherent worth
and dignity seems up for debate by those who have never had their worth and
dignity questioned in courts of law. Angry that love of power seems to trump
love of neighbor. Repurpose our anger into righteous action, Lord.
(Personal note: My fear is turning to anger and I am
afraid that my anger can turn so easily to hate and hate is the thing I say I
am against. Turn me away from hate. My heart can’t take that kind of
brittleness because I need it to give and to receive love. Remind me that my
heart is spoken for.)
Nadia
Bolz-Weber
I went to bed angry
I woke up angry
Or perhaps it was not so much anger, as emptiness
As if a void has opened up in my soul
As if love, hope, peace and joy
Have been sucked out of my core
Leaving a black hole
That I cannot fill
And that is the point I suppose
That I cannot fill that space
I can only offer it
Offer it to the One who is love.
Jesus said that he is the way.
A road
A road is something you walk on
A path that gets you from here to there
I can only seek to walk, step by step
Down that path, into the depth of Jesus’ heart
Hoping that perhaps, I am also walking
Step by step into my own heart
Come Lord Jesus
Is not an empty cry
Or an angry cry
Come Lord Jesus, and set things straight
Come Lord Jesus and make things right
It is so easy to let the emptiness fill with foul things
With hate
And a desire for retribution
With fear, and a desire to grab
Power and wealth
As a solution
But come Lord Jesus and fill my heart
With the love, joy, hope, and peace that has been lost.
Don’t transform them.
Transform me
So that in love, I can help change the world.
Yes, it seems helpless!
I cry with the Psalmist, “How long, O Lord, how long”
(13)
I raise my anguished questions to the heavens
“Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?” (Jeremiah)
Teach me Lord
Walk with me down that road we make by walking (Paolo
Freire)
That road we make with persistent love
I know I need to challenge
Those things that are not right in the world
I need to make Those who have fused with values and
agendas
That are not Yours
Uncomfortable,
so that they themselves may challenge
What they have blindly accepted
(There are many times I might well be wrong.
But some things, hate, fear, retribution, lies, and
racism are clearly wrong)
I need to ask hard questions.
Not accusing, blaming, or shaming,
But asking those questions that, if answered may, may
Open hearts and minds
But I can only do that with others
after I have done that with myself
Lord, I am afraid, and my fear is turning to anger
And my anger might well turn to hate
Lord, remind me that heart is spoken for
And walk with me
Walk with me into the wilderness of my heart
Touch my brittle heart
Soften it
I am angry Lord
It is not wrong to be angry.
But turn me away from hate, so that I can share your Love
For
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of
stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do
that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” (MLK
Jr.)
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