The Lonely

Ah – See them there, the lonely.

See her sitting there

Among the crowds, with the people,

Yet alone and lonely.

See him walking

Along the shadowed path

With people on all sides,

Yet alone and lonely.

They walk alone,

Lonely for companionship,

For a true friend;

Yet they are scared,

Scared lest anyone

See their loneliness

And take pity on them.

So they hide their loneliness

Behind a façade of happiness

Pretending they are not

Alone and unhappy.

Yet they cry, though not aloud,

To be noticed and liked

If only for a time.

To be liked for who they are

And not for who they seem to be.

See them there – the lonely

See them and notice – the lonely.

Chains

Chains, chains that bind,

Chains that restrict

Hold all mankind back

From all we could and should be.

What are the chains that bind?

Chains of hatred;

Hatred of whatever is different,

Hatred of different thoughts, ideas.

Chains of fear;

Fear of the person next door,

Fear of anything we don’t know.

Chains of prejudice;

Prejudice and fear of a person

Who is made a little differently

Or thinks a little differently.

Chains of suspicion;

Suspicion of anything

That we don’t understand.

These are the chains that bind

That hold us all down

And keep us from being

One people under God.

Oh Lord, help us throw off

All these chains

That all your people

Might be one people.

Fools

Oh Lord, what fools we be!

We go along life’s highway

Believing our own strength

Sufficient to any task

That might confront us,

When only you can give

To each of us the strength

To bear the load

That has been given us

Oh Lord, what fools we be!

We try to make ourselves

The highest and best

Of our little worlds

When only service, lowly service

To our fellow beings and you

Can make us better

Than what we are.

Oh Lord, what fools we be!

We deny to others the right

To live as we do,

Forcing them to live

Where we would not,

When they are our brethren,

Your children,

Whoever they may be.

Oh Lord, what fools we be!

For we put ourselves

Ahead of you and your kingdom.

We try to pretend

That you do not exist,

And measure ourselves by our own standards

When you are there, before us,

Measuring us and weighing our faults.

Keep us, Lord, from the foolishness

That says, “I am god

Of this little bit of world.”

And forgets that ALL people

Are your children

And as such

Have the same rights as we.

Keep us, Lord, from being fools.

Remember Me

photo by:  Ronald Caldwell

Remember me?

I’m the person

You just passed

On the street.

I am human

And alive;

Remember me!

Remember me?

I’m that person

Who is poorly dressed.

I don’t have much money

And I may be homeless.

Remember me!

Remember me?

I may be your neighbor

Living near you.

See me

And get to know me.

Remember me!

Remember me?

I am that person

Who is so very different

From others around me

But I’m still human.

Remember me!

Remember me?

I’m gay or asexual

And other people

Don’t approve

But I am

As God created me.

Remember me!

Remember me?

I am Yahweh,

Your Creator.

All people are mine

And I love them

As they are right now.

See them all

As beloved children

Of mine.

Remember me!

Listen 2

Listen to me

And learn

Who I am,

For I am also

A child of God,

Who loves me.

Listen to me

And I will

Listen to you

So that I will

Understand better

Who you are

And that God

Loves you, too.

As we listen

To each other,

Let us also

Listen for God,

Telling us how

To live together

In peace and love.

The Pink Triangle

I wore a pink triangle

Because I was too different

From the rest of the world.

I wore a pink triangle

In a concentration camp

Because of who I was.

I wore a pink triangle

And died very painfully

Because of hate and fear.

I wore a pink triangle

Just simply because

I was gay.

Listen 1

Listen to me,

Hear me

And do not

Ignore me,

For I am here.

Listen to me

Carefully,

For I too

Have something

To say.

Listen to me,

And do not

Turn away

Just because

I am different.

Listen to me,

For I may have

Something important

To say.

God Remembered

I forgot to listen

For the voice

That told me

The path to follow,

But God remembered me.

I forgot to look

Around to see

Which people there are

That need my help,

But God remembered me.

I forgot to walk

Always in love

With God and all those

Who are around me,

But God remembered me.

I forgot to love

All people that live

In all places

That are around me,

But God remembered me.

Human

I am human,

Yet other people

Turn against me

And try to hurt me.

I am human,

And alive,

Yet people hate me

And try to kill me.

I am human,

And only different

On the outside,

For I am black.

I am human,

But I am different

On the inside,

For I am gay.

I am human,

And I am different

From other people,

I am asexual.

But Lord, They're

But Lord, they're poor.

You can't mean

That I should associate

With the likes of them!

But Lord, they're black.

You don't mean to say

That I should care about

Such as they!

But Lord, they're gay*

You couldn't have

Created these people

As they are!

But Lord, they're different.

You can't mean

That I should love them

Just as they are!

added later:

But Lord, they're asexual.

You couldn't have

Made these people

As they say they are!

       *book by Rev Sylvia Pennington

God Loves Me!

God loves me!

Shout it out aloud;

God loves me!

And I do not

Have to do a thing

To gain that love

For God loves me

As I am

Right now!

Ours

photo by:  Arthur Clark

And love

Is ours.

There is no doubt,

No wondering

About it.

God’s love

Is ours

To have and hold

Unconditionally.

Do Not

Do not turn away,

See me.

Do not walk away,

Feed me.

Do not ignore me,

Clothe me.

For I am also

God’s child.

Touch Me

Touch me,

Hug me,

For I am alive

And I need

Your touch,

Your hug,

To affirm

My life,

That I am lovable.

Sounds

photo by:  unknown ranger in Alaska

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

Women and girls

Beaten and raped

Many people killed;

Africa.

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

Car bombs and gunfire

People wounded and killed

All for land;

The Middle East.

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

Farmers losing crops,

Drug runners winning

Rebels fighting government;

Columbia.

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

Planes crashing

Buildings falling down,

People killed;

America.

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

Bombs and gunfire

In a far off land

A change of government;

Afghanistan.

Sounds of war, 

Sounds of violence,

People killed

In diverse places,

When will all

This shooting stop?

America.

Sounds of war,

Sounds of violence,

All over the world.

Oh God, when

Will all the people

Learn to live together

In peace and love?

Surprise!

Surprise!

God is here,

Working among us.

Surprise!

God is doing

The unexpected.

Surprise!

God is loving

Each one of us.

Mistakes

Making mistakes,
Going the wrong way,
Even though
The way is marked.

Making mistakes,
Big and little errors,
Even when we are
Shown the right.

Making mistakes,
Running away
From everything
That is good.

Yet God is there,
Waiting for us,
Wanting to show us
The way home.

When

Having troubles,
Praying for help
And there seems
No answer?
Think when
Not if!

Need a healing
For your spirit
And you don't feel
God hears?
Think when,
Not if!

Looking for someone
Who really cares
That you exist?
Think now,
Not never
And think God!

Jesus is There

The care taken
For the person
Who needs help;
Jesus is there.

The hand held out
To help the one
With an unsteady step;
Jesus is there.

The love given
To the stranger
In your midst;
Jesus is there.

I Am...

I am  hungry,

Feed me.

I am naked,

Clothe me.

I am homeless

House me.

I am unloved,

Care about me.

I am God’s child,

Help me

To a better life.

A Reaction

They live

In fear,

Not knowing

Which way to turn.

No time

For love,

Or any gentleness;

For all around

There’s violence.

        Reaction to Central America

                     3/14/81

Love is, Hate is

Love is God,

Hate is us.

God does not hate

Any person,

But loves all.

We are the ones

That hate

And make enemies

Of anyone

Who is different.

Come to the Light

Come to the light

And see

That God loves

All people

Of the world.

Welcome

People knocking at the door:

          And when will the churches      hear their voices and let them in?

          

Make all people

Welcome,

And do not turn

Anyone away.

For all people

 Are God’s children

And we dare not

Make any differences

Between people.

Fear

Fear of differences,

Fear of those

Who are not

Like me.

When

Can we all

Learn

To get past

This fear?

Peace

photo by: Folks at Summer of Peace

Peace will begin with a child;

For a child has not learned

To hate and fear

What he or she

Does not understand.

Peace will begin with a child;

For children do not know

That they should

Hate and fear

People who are not

Made exactly like them.