Good God!
Everyone is coming against me
with all they’ve got.
As for me,
I’ve got nothing left.
No way to defend myself.
My last word has been spoken.
My muscles at the point of collapse,
and I cannot bear this weight alone.
From north, from south
from east, from west,
my enemies arise.
The four winds
rise against
seeking to overcome
with doubt and fear,
falsified facts
convulsing cacophonous
confusions
laid in wait
to bait violence –
the only word
they can speak.
Betrayed by you,
the one I once held dear,
the one I loved.
for whom I gave my very
heart, soul, mind and strength.
I gave you life, offered you all I had
but you killed me in your thoughts
long before you came after me.
And now here we are
in this
standoff.
You lying in wait.
And I wait for answers.
Is there no other way?
A way beyond?
A pathway to fullness of
life for all,
a life no death can cheat?
Good God!
If you can create
a world in seven,
what else can you do?
Be my strength and my shield.
Prove to me
in the midst of this war
on truth
that all You said is true
when from its very foundation
you declared the earth
and all that is in it
Beloved.
Of this beloved creation I am a part.
And my heart, it beats within your heart.
You carry me within your heart
Strings intertwined
hearts beating gently, softly
strongly, loudly
Call and respond,
your steady beat lifting my song,
heart’s weak rhythm
buoyed by the drone
of a heart that is bigger.
Bigger than sorrow
A heart that is hopeful
Hopeful for tomorrow
A heart that is strong
enough to overcome hate.
A day is coming
and that day has surely come
when the beat of the accusers
will be drowned out by
the rhythm of love.
What started in weakness
grows into a roar
in concert with hearts
more numerous than stars
Under the canopy I sleep
with tens of thousands by my side
in this communion of saints.
A family multiplied
from Abraham’s seed,
God’s rhythm passed down.
Rise up, O Lord,
Deliver me, O God!
And drown out
the chatter of your enemies
in the steady beat
of Good God Love.
He currently serves as the Director of Missional Renewal for the Anglican Diocese of Kootenay on the unceded territories of the Sinixt, Syilx, and Ktunaxa nations. He previously served as the Director of Ministry Innovation at Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver, BC.
Andrew is cofounder and contributing editor at www.empireremixed.com, and co-editor of "A Sort of Homecoming: Essays Honoring the Academic and Community Work of Brian Walsh" with Marcia Boniferro and Amanda Jagt.