April 8, 2021 - February 12, 2022

Pharisees

we have shared the same faith

you and I, and perhaps still do

but after our recent dialogue

I wonder about you, about me

how my simple statement could

both bring out the best

and bring out the worst

in each of us in that room

I weep for those beyond our faith

who have seen us say such things

both of the best

and of the worst

who have seen our different sides

our lack of willingness to agree

who must now be even more doubtful

that this salvation we proclaim

is even a thing to be desired

I took part in a Facebook 'discussion' that began, and chained on-and-on-and-on, from an optimistically encouraging post about our Christian response to COVID-19, government mandated lockdowns and the forced closure of various churches and which rather quickly got horribly side-tracked. Some of the comments showed more of the Pharisee than the Disciple and I began to wonder how such 'discussions' appear to those looking into our faith from the outside.