If you do not exploit the stranger.
The orphan, the widow.
In the land I gave  to your father.
I will stay with you , you I will follow.

Passing in my air conditioned car.
I saw the woman and toddler living on the Delhi street.
I looked upon her from afar.
Just as the rich man and Lazarus would not meet.

In face  of this poverty.
All my efforts seemed futile.
What is our life truly worth next to this misery.
Why in helping, can we not go the extra mile.

When I die will I be confronted.
Or will I be comforted.

…..

Pass the stranger by
Then left behind by the car
Punished from afar

……..

See Jeremiah 7 : 1-11

The one who received it on patches of rock.
Is the one who hears the word and welcomes it.
But he has no root in him because of the rock.
He does not last , let some trial come and he falls away from it.

The one who received the word .
In thorns is the man who heard the word, but the love of riches.
Chokes the word.
And he produces nothing by way of riches.

And the man who received the word in rich soil.
Is the man who hears the word and understands it.
He is the one who yields the harvest from this soil.
A hundredfold from it.

And where does our seed fall.
Will we rise or will we fall.

……..

Received on the rock
Or does our seed land in thorns
Or on some rich soil

…….

See Matthew 13 : 18-23

We are in difficulties on all sides.
But never cornered.
Buffeted by ingoing  and outgoing tides.
But in his loving grasp, never betrayed.

We see no answer to our problems.
But never despair.
We know our guiding emblems.
We need not fear.

We have been persecuted.
But never deserted.
Not often feted.
But never , we hope, feared.

We carry within us the body of Jesus.
So that in our body may be seen the life of Jesus.

……..

In difficulties
But we are never cornered
Held in loving grasp

……..

See 2 Corinthians 4 : 7-15

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.
Before you came to birth I consecrated you.
Known if not  revered by all nations.

I do not know how to speak, I am a child.
Go now to those to whom I send you.
But the Lord said , do not say I am a child.
And say whatever I command you.

Do not be afraid of them.
For I am with you to protect you.
It is the Lord who speaks to them.
Look today , I am setting over the nations, you.

You will build and plant.
Everything to you I grant.

………

Before I formed you
I did know  you in the womb
You are a prophet

……..

See Jeremiah 1 : 1 , 4- 10

He will not break the crushed reed.
Nor put out the smouldering wick.
He is the new holy seed.
In the celestial wall , the final brick.

He has led the truth to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.
A truth beyond all mystery.
Yet putting our faith in him, we can cope.

He will not brawl or shout.
Nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets.
Putting to rest all doubt.
The holder of all final receipts.

I will endow him with my spirit.
Faith I will inherit.

…….

He will not break reeds
Nor put out the burning wick
For he is our Lord

…….

See Matthew 12 : 14-21

Come to me all you who labour and are  over burdened
And I will give you rest.
We are pardoned.
And blessed.

We make mistakes.
We are criticised.
We are given bad breaks.
We may even be despised.

But we did our best.
We tried as hard as we could.
We deserve our rest.
And it is all to the good.

We fail and fall.
We get up and walk tall.

……..

Come to me all you
Who labour overburdened
We deserve our rest

…….

See Matthew 11: 28-30

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace.
It is not peace that I bring.
Yet for peace we pray without cease.
And his celestial song we sing.

I have come to set a man against his father.
A daughter against her mother.
But still he helps us see further.
And divine the true source of all matter.

Anyone who does not take his cross.
And follow me is not worthy of me.
Our gain is our loss.
But of course this, we cannot see.

Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me.
He tells us ; and we don’t follow it ; is not worthy of me.

……

He does not bring peace
He sets father against son
Yet he does bring peace

…….

See Matthew 10

Take nothing for the journey save a staff.
Do not take a spare tunic.
Do nothing in half.
Listen to the celestial music.

As you walk away .
Shake off the dust from under your feet.
Troubles to lay.
Happiness to greet and meet.

Not everyone will give us a welcome.
But do not worry.
Friendship will come.
If you are prepared to tarry.

How often do we take too much.
And worry too much.

…….

Take only a staff
Not even a spare tunic
For that is enough

…….

See Mark 6: 7-13

Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny.
And yet not one falls to the ground without the father knowing.
We will, if only we wait, have plenty.
Love will come flowing.

Why every hair on your head has been counted.
So there is no need to be afraid.
Worries can be surmounted.
And tension laid.

So there is no need to be afraid.
You are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
All our doubts will be laid.
We will have all our tomorrows.

Every hair counted.
Every doubt surmounted.

…….

One penny sparrow
Every hair is counted
Our father knows us

…….

See Matthew 20 : 24-33

Have mercy , God in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offence.
We make mistakes, question our fitness.
We worry , feel tense.

But it’s no great thing.
We can move on.
Did many notice.
It’s not such a painful sting.
Nor the ruin of our life’s opus.

And perhaps we were right.
Our critics wrong.
Even if the decision was tight.
We were true to our own song.

But if all else fails.
We can cling to mercy’s tails.

…..

Dear God have mercy
In your kindness to us all
Blot out our offence

…….

Psalm 50

If your plea is for clear perception.
You will understand what the fear of the Lord is.
And thus achieve redemption.
And become his.

We speak out.
We are criticised.
Told we are nought.
Perhaps even despised.

But it is always right to speak your truth.
Without fear or favour.
Your truth is as good as any others’ truth.
Even if you do not do others a favour.

Take courage.
You will manage.

…….

Clear perception
Must lead to fear of the Lord
That is our main task

…….

See Proverbs 2: 1-9

Constantly seek the face of the Lord.
O sing to the Lord, sing his praise.
But should we seek the face of the Lord.
Should we content just to sing his praise.

Perhaps we should follow his back.
And follow him as he walks.
In heaven we will no longer be on life’s rack.
In heaven we will follow the light as he walks.

He will lead us into ever greater mystery.
Something we cannot even comprehend.
In this world we will never understand this mystery.
How can this blinding light, we comprehend.

So we will follow him.
And seek to understand him.

…….

We seek the Lord’s face
But should we follow his back
And towards the light

……..

See Psalm 104

I am going to lead her out into the wilderness.
And speak to her heart.
And we also seek redress.
And a new start.

I am going to give her back her vineyards.
And make the valley of Achor a gateway of hope.
We struggle slowly forward eating up the yards.
Clutching an elusive rope.

Then she shall respond to me.
As she did when young.
I hear , do I listen, can I see.
Do I know the notes that I have sung.

Will I betroth you with integrity.
With love and with honesty.

…….

Led to wilderness
And then speaking to her heart
Is this really me

…..

See Hosea 2

That day I will re-erect the tottering hut of David.
Make good the gaps in it, restore its ruins.
And nothing will he forbid.
All will be verifiable shoeins.

The days are coming.
When harvest will come directly after ploughing.
So we can carry on hoping.
And we can start succeeding.

The treading of grapes will come soon after growing.
When the mountains will run with new wine.
We just have to go on accepting.
And look to the holy sign.

They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
Out of the land I have given them.

…….

Erect David’s hut
And restore all its ruins
That is our challenge

…….

See Amos 9: 11-15

Listen to this , you who trample on the needy.
And try to suppress the poor people of the country.
And we ask this of ourselves, are we ready.
Can we do our duty, make our right entry.

You , who say when will the new moon be over.
So that we can sell our corn.
We will not all end up in clover.
But we are not forsworn.

I am going to turn your feasts into funerals.
All your singing into lamentation.
We will all find our levels.
But will we resist temptation.

Whatever the stress .
We are really fine, none the less.

………

Trample on needy
And suppress the poor people
Is this what we do

……

See Amos 8: 4-6 and 9-12

Without warning a storm broke over the lake.
So violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat.
And he was ready to act for their sake.
To keep them afloat.

Our future may be in doubt.
This may be a decision day.
But doubts can be set to rout.
If his name we say.

Our life’s boat is tossed.
We even despair.
But we are not crossed.
We need not fear.

There is hope anew.
And life anew.

…….

Storm over the lake
And then our own boat is tossed
But do not despair

…….

See Matthew 9: 1-8