The pieces of a human are fragile.
Delicate as an autumn leaf in the hands of a child.
Together they make one whole.
Yet, they are torn apart by sin.
Where is peace when war is all a man knows?
His thoughts of it are looming pipedreams,
they dance in his head like a sweet lullaby.
He is reduced to believing it can't be real.
His hope is in his hopelessness.
So sad.
So sad indeed.
Yet, he learns one day about a savior.
A man named Jesus.
He makes him whole,
and gives him peace,
in pieces of a sacrament.
To commemorate His life,
which was broken for man.
Through His brokenness are we made whole.
No longer in pieces,
but in peace by His pieces torn for you and I.
Richard J Wright (2008) from the book Odyssey: Faith In the Strength of Israel
Visions of Heaven
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Peace By Pieces
The pieces of a human are fragile.
Delicate as an autumn leaf in the hands of a child.
Together they make one whole.
Yet, they are torn apart by sin.
Where is peace when war is all a man knows?
His thoughts of it are looming pipedreams,
they dance in his head like a sweet lullaby.
He is reduced to believing it can't be real.
His hope is in his hopelessness.
So sad.
So sad indeed.
Yet, he learns one day about a savior.
A man named Jesus.
He makes him whole,
and gives him peace,
in pieces of a sacrament.
To commemorate His life,
which was broken for man.
Through His brokenness are we made whole.
No longer in pieces,
but in peace by His pieces torn for you and I.
Richard J Wright (2008) from the book Odyssey: Faith In the Strength of Israel
random thoughts... 5 things that say you are preacher
1. Everything means something.
2. You have more than 3 bibles. 2 of them are raggedy.
3. Either you are loved greatly or people cannot stand you.
4. Your family doesn't understand you.
5. You have 3 suits that need buttons or alterations.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Thursday, July 4, 2013
A Man's Heart
A man's heart is seldom revealed,
for his world consists of many things concealed.
Whether its anger hidden in teardrops
or pain for respect and props.
He will not share with you,
even when you desire him to.
For a man must have thick skin
to hold a tender heart.
Otherwise the people in his life, might be tempted to rip it apart.
So you are spoon fed pieces of a man.
A sort of incompleteness with no room to expand.
You plead with him to share his heart
because perhaps you might have shared yours.
You constantly try to peek behind the mask.
You so often find yourself the last.
So I will share mine with this one thought in mind.
You do not know me so you do not have to be kind.
You can ridicule or disrespect,
yet you cannot puncture what has been concealed to protect.
For my dreams and motives
desires and ambitions
lead me to strange shores producing curious predispositions.
I live, I love, I learn, I laugh, and I cry
just like you but perhaps not in words I could reply.
Instead study my eyes
and peek into my soul.
They are not wells of pain
masked in glares so cold.
If you smile at me, I smile at you.
Frown at me and this is what I do too.
I could hide behind pride,
but that would be a lie.
So instead trying to see,
what you want to see.
See life for what it is and be free.
For I will love if I am allowed to.
For I have to pay like you what is due.
Just hold the moment
grasp it in the palms of your hands.
Do not wish for more than you really can stand.
Take it for what it’s worth
and learn to love a man.
For his heart is like yours
if you take the time apart,
to learn the worth of one man's heart.
Richard J Wright
How happy is the 4th?
How happy is the 4th? My pastor at bible study talked about inner dependence versus inter dependence. Citing the pending holiday, he talked briefly about how people would barbecue and pop fireworks but will not even think about the holiday and its significance. We know that the declaration of independence was signed on this day in 1776. Yet, a lot of people could care less for whatever reason. The militant side to me does not care. When this document was written, Black people were still in the chains of slavery. So it seems odd to celebrate a day of freedom when freedom was not apart my people's lives. So how happy am I on the 4th. I am happy for a plethora of reasons, but the declaration of independence isn't one of them. While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had to remind the powers that be in his day about the importance of that document in the face of mobbing whites, burning churches and lynching, the "real" dirty south could careless about the rights of Black people. So while others celebrate with flags in the front lawns, families getting together, and laughter, I cannot be mad. The graveyards are filled with freedom fighters who people never met but paid the ultimate price for freedom. The more radical among us will decry this day and I cannot be mad at that. In America, all is not fair. Then again, such is life. What I do know is that either way, I can be but I do not have to be happy about the 4th. So how do I really feel. I bless God for this day. I bless God for allowing me to see another day. I bless God for all the 4ths of my life. Let those who will celebrate, celebrate. Let those who will protest, protest. After all that is the genius of America. We can agree to disagree.
The Crossroads of the Black Church
S.
Say what you will about the Black Church. The one thing is certain and that is its staying power. However, the Black Church is also fighting a losing battle with Black America. In short, it seems as if the church is starting to outlive its usefulness. Gone are the days where Black people congregate to talk about voting rights, protest and struggle. Gone are the days where politicians would pay random visits to the church in hopes of soliciting votes. While I am sure there are pockets in America that still do some of these things, the vast majority of churches in the Black community have never seen a politician enter their church doors. The church has lost its way. The Black community and its tax base continues to move from place to place like herds of cattle, forsaking the inner cities for life in suburbia. It is the poor people who are left to struggle with a political base that continues to endorse gentrification and are being forced out by the builders who erect townhomes and cause the taxes in the area to skyrocket.
While we all adore church mothers clapping their hands and singing the old songs, it is the new generation that need urban feel to the their gospel music. Songs that get occasional play in clubs. For some reason, people believe that these songs can save sinners in the middle of bumping and grinding under dark and multi colored strobe lights. Now don't get me wrong. I like some of the new brand of gospel but its no substitute for those old spiritual songs that have history and legacy attached to them. I enjoy Christian rap music but I know that it has its purpose and place but it will not ever become the standard in gospel music. This new generation of believers need to be able to express themselves. However, not at the expense of doing things like reality television and the like. The greatest show on earth is life but when preachers decide to let Hollywood into their lives, well that is problematic at best.
What in the world am I saying? The Black church has changed. I do not think always for the better. Doctrinally speaking, there are churches that are sound. Many churches dance in legalism out of fear. Some churches have just put the bible down and are just doing what they think is right in their own eyes. The church has seen God do many wonderful things. However, for whatever reason it is not enough. Why are churches bowing out of the political atmosphere? Why preach and complain against a society that has kicked prayer out of school, embrace homosexuality under a guise of inclusion, and continues to shred the rights of Christians nationwide and not struggle against the powers that be. Why pray for leaders in the nation if are not going to even engage them to do the right thing? In the midst of prosperity and the doctrine, people have walked away from the political process. Social conditions are worse. Economically speaking, people are in financial strain. As much as we want people to tithe and they should, we should also be about making sure people have fair and equal treatment under the law and struggle against corporate greed that continues to ship jobs overseas.
Many Black men do not fellowship at the church. Many of them have joined churches but they are not engaged. There are real reasons for that too. Men need to be engaged. Men need to struggle and if they do not see themselves in the struggle at large they will just withdraw themselves to their own devices because its like a warrior having no war to fight. As long churches are content to fill their pews with women, it will wink at the sadness that many churches lack manpower. As much as we should lean on Jesus, it takes people to do the work of the kingdom; especially when it comes to the natural work. The recent events involving the removal of certain policy in the voting right act is a sobering reality that Black folks still need to be vigilant in the struggle. Historically, the Black church was the meeting place of the people. It should be the place where we worship God. It should be the place where we sing praises and teach our youth the importance of knowing God. It should be the place where prophets are taught and teachers are made. Yet, it has to become more. After the scriptures teach us, much is given, much is required
Say what you will about the Black Church. The one thing is certain and that is its staying power. However, the Black Church is also fighting a losing battle with Black America. In short, it seems as if the church is starting to outlive its usefulness. Gone are the days where Black people congregate to talk about voting rights, protest and struggle. Gone are the days where politicians would pay random visits to the church in hopes of soliciting votes. While I am sure there are pockets in America that still do some of these things, the vast majority of churches in the Black community have never seen a politician enter their church doors. The church has lost its way. The Black community and its tax base continues to move from place to place like herds of cattle, forsaking the inner cities for life in suburbia. It is the poor people who are left to struggle with a political base that continues to endorse gentrification and are being forced out by the builders who erect townhomes and cause the taxes in the area to skyrocket.
While we all adore church mothers clapping their hands and singing the old songs, it is the new generation that need urban feel to the their gospel music. Songs that get occasional play in clubs. For some reason, people believe that these songs can save sinners in the middle of bumping and grinding under dark and multi colored strobe lights. Now don't get me wrong. I like some of the new brand of gospel but its no substitute for those old spiritual songs that have history and legacy attached to them. I enjoy Christian rap music but I know that it has its purpose and place but it will not ever become the standard in gospel music. This new generation of believers need to be able to express themselves. However, not at the expense of doing things like reality television and the like. The greatest show on earth is life but when preachers decide to let Hollywood into their lives, well that is problematic at best.
What in the world am I saying? The Black church has changed. I do not think always for the better. Doctrinally speaking, there are churches that are sound. Many churches dance in legalism out of fear. Some churches have just put the bible down and are just doing what they think is right in their own eyes. The church has seen God do many wonderful things. However, for whatever reason it is not enough. Why are churches bowing out of the political atmosphere? Why preach and complain against a society that has kicked prayer out of school, embrace homosexuality under a guise of inclusion, and continues to shred the rights of Christians nationwide and not struggle against the powers that be. Why pray for leaders in the nation if are not going to even engage them to do the right thing? In the midst of prosperity and the doctrine, people have walked away from the political process. Social conditions are worse. Economically speaking, people are in financial strain. As much as we want people to tithe and they should, we should also be about making sure people have fair and equal treatment under the law and struggle against corporate greed that continues to ship jobs overseas.
Many Black men do not fellowship at the church. Many of them have joined churches but they are not engaged. There are real reasons for that too. Men need to be engaged. Men need to struggle and if they do not see themselves in the struggle at large they will just withdraw themselves to their own devices because its like a warrior having no war to fight. As long churches are content to fill their pews with women, it will wink at the sadness that many churches lack manpower. As much as we should lean on Jesus, it takes people to do the work of the kingdom; especially when it comes to the natural work. The recent events involving the removal of certain policy in the voting right act is a sobering reality that Black folks still need to be vigilant in the struggle. Historically, the Black church was the meeting place of the people. It should be the place where we worship God. It should be the place where we sing praises and teach our youth the importance of knowing God. It should be the place where prophets are taught and teachers are made. Yet, it has to become more. After the scriptures teach us, much is given, much is required
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