
The year was sixty,
The lines were drawn
T’was 1860
And hate lived on
The forces were firm
Convinced with pride
That truth and right
Was on their side
The war did come
And bodies torn
Six hundred twenty
Thousand mourned
But many more
Did bear the wrong
From wounds so deep
And hurts still strong
One hundred and sixty
Years came and went
And laws were embraced
With such great intent
But wounds from years
Too many to count
Still surface again
As generations mount.
And so 2020
Moved in as a cloud
God’s plan was unclear
For a nation so proud
Unyielding and firm
We placed ourselves first
We each sought our gods
And ignored such a curse
Whether wealth or power
Or glitz or fame
Or whatever else
Our desires did claim
Our pride we wore
So good and bold
The red white and blue
Was ours to hold
But God would not dare
Bow down to our flags
Or yield His glory
To all of our rags
And so our pride
Was on full display
When COVID hit
And God halted play
Wall Street did stumble
And Main Street shut down
Our leaders confused
In town after town
God had pressed pause
To get our attention
But soon the division
Became more dissension
Our views so sure
Were all that mattered
The pride displayed
Left friendships shattered
But then that virus
From Eden born
Of pride thru racism
Did rise with scorn
The cry “I Can’t Breathe”
Was heard by all
Those final words
A rallying call
But rather than bow
And confess our sin
We rallied and chanted
Our views once again
The anger was seen
In cities and streets
And felt so deep
In hearts and tweets
So today we repeat
What’s happened before
When lines were drawn
And all kept score
But should we resign
To another cruel end
Where sisters and brothers
And neighbors won’t bend?
Should we just assume
That all is now lost
And what we do see
Will be gone with great cost?
There still yet is Hope
But it will not reign
When we will not see
Injustice and pain
No, this Hope demands
We turn from our pride
And humbly accept
What we have denied.
Our God above all
Is able to heal
But not on our terms
Let’s submit and kneel
When Pride is torn down
And God is restored
Then black and white
Will walk in accord
So will we defeat
This virus of old
That continues the hate
And maintains status quo?
The time is now
The choice is ours
Will we turn to God
Or let pride devour?
Our path to heal
These wounds so deep
Begins each new day
As I awake from my sleep
I am the one
I must seek to control
My desires submit
To a much greater goal
And like Son of Man
Who left heaven above
And humbled himself
To show us true love
May each of us look
To love and to labor
For God our Creator
And the one we call neighbor.
Love God and love others
These simple commands
Are what Jesus modeled
And our God demands.
💡“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.“ Matthew 22:37-39

It was a Pharisee lawyer that posed this question hoping to trip Jesus up. Jesus didn’t side step it, but put it back to the lawyer who was a master at asking questions that were like snares and traps. Jesus told him in terms that could not be denied, “First love the Lord your God with everything you possess, then love that nameless person down the street as you do yourself. Every law that was put in place for your awareness is complied to with these commandments.” Times and traditions change but these two things endure. These are healing commandments, and we conveniently neglect them.