The stakes are too great-
an America gone mad with materialism,
a police-state America,
a sexless and soulless America
prepared to battle the world
in defense of a false image of its authority.
Not the wild and beautiful America
of the comrades of Walt Whitman,
not the historic America
of William Blake and Henry David Thoreau
where the spiritual independence of each individual was an America,
a universe,
more huge and awesome than
all the abstract bureaucracies and authoritative officialdoms
of the world combined.
Only those who have entered the world of spirit
know what a vast laugh there is
in the illusory appearance of worldly authority.
And all men at one time or other enter that Spirit,
whether in life or death.
How many hypocrites are there in America?
How many trembling lambs, fearful of discovery?
What authority have we set up over ourselves,
that we are not as we are?
Who shall prohibit an art from being published to the world?
What conspirators have power to determine our mode of consciousness,
our sexual enjoyments, our different labors and our loves?
What fiends determine our wars?
When will we discover an America
that will not deny its own God?
Who takes up
arms, money, police, and a million hands
to murder the consciousness of God?
Who spits in the beautiful face of poetry
which sings of the glory of God
and weeps in the dust of the world?
Alan Ginsberg, 2000
6.30.2013
Amber Alert
Sometimes the Church
Sometimes the World
are like the Psalmist.
When some tragedy occurs
they ask the Other,
"Where were You?"
And when we discern
the response
is the same
as what
Mary and Joseph heard,
“I AM where I AM
supposed to be.”
So,
the quandary arises:
Do we
like Mary place
the answer in our hearts
or silently wonder
as Joseph:
“What is Your
Father’s business?”
6.23.2013
The Impossible Takes a Little Longer
We hear the words,
and wonder
if Jesus is
exaggerating
to make His point.
And afterwards
we browse
the bulletin board
of the world
and read of
a saint
who
makes us
wonder
if we have
any faith
at all.
(h/t Naked Pastor)
6.16.2013
The Other Guy
On the TV
Jesus said to Peter,
"I've come to bring you new life."
And Peter replied,
"Who says I need one?"
And we
who drag
our baggage
around
each day,
hear the gospel warning:
"forgiven little
loves little"
and think
He is talking
to someone else.
6.09.2013
867-5309
The President said,
“All we are doing
is making a log
of your
phone calls.”
And all of us
terrorists
breathed
a sigh
of relief.
We’re glad
our cover
hasn't been blown,
as we
gossip
about some poor soul.
Talk to our mistresses
and tell the beloved
you have to
work late tonight.
Get a hot stock tip
from your brother-in-law
at Goldmans.
Thank God
that
our freedoms
and privacy
are not being harmed.
While the
recording angels
scribble frantically
in the
Book of Life.
6.02.2013
Christian President
"I wish we had a Christian President,"
she said.
"Yes," I replied.
"Imagine weapons
turned into
ploughshares.
Our debts
cancelled
for a fresh start.
The blind
lame and
sick
won't worry
about
pre-existing conditions.
And a new beginning
of the last
becoming
first."
"No, no, no," she said.
"All I meant,
he would go to church every
Sunday."
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