all matter, and all makers, came to BE,
is Lord of hea'en and earth and all that's curled
within, without, and roundabout, all sea,
and sky, and space and time, and meaning too.
They've all come from someone - and life and breath,
He doesn't need a thing that we can do,
or what we bring on here ourselves, like death.
His home or place to live is not man-made
It's right the other way about you see.
Our home or place to live is in his shade,
close to him, like a chick with hen would be.
He's made a world that's wonderful and raw,
with ocean depths, volcanoes, and big suns,
with scarry things like viruses, before
you know it in his story there are runs
of high adventure, mys-ter-y, sci-fi,
and magic pow'r within atomic shells.
God truly doesn't need us to supply
him with some fibro, or plastic to sell.
Sometimes we get transactional mindsets
that shrink the magic of relationships
into a business contract, and God lets
us do it. We must learn and make some slips
from trial and error. And we could spend time
to listen to his still, small, voice of love.
We cannot be transcendent over rime
and reason, though at times we've tried to shove
each other and our maker with these tools
and make for him our trinkets so he'll be
indebted to our systems and our rules
& caught by our own ingenuity.
God doesn't live in temples made by hands.
Nor does he need a thing we can supply.
He only loves us. Can you understand?
He knows and loves much more than you and I.
And God, as self, gives life and breath to all,
and everything of substance which matters,
but also sources friendship that's faithful,
and fairness/justice, with stuff that shatters
indiff-er-ence and hate that sure exist
within our human life. He cultured then
the racial diff'rences and made his list
of peoples with their cultures, and made them
to live throughout the whole earth. He himself
has fixed the limits of both time and place,
where they would live, and guided them to health.
He did this so that they would look for grace
and help with all these opportunities.
And in our times of need he hopes we'll look
for him, perhaps to find him (very pleased)
as we felt 'round for him. God is our chook!
Yes, God is never far away from one.
And, God is never far away from each,
from any one of us, we're like a son,
or daughter, who may (oughta?) let God teach...
that's any one of us; as poets said,
‘It is in him we live and move and be’...
‘his own offspring we are, from toe to head.’
Since we are God's own children, we should see
& not suppose that he is made like us.
His nature isn't made by jig 'n dance,
or shaped by human art or skill and fuss.
God's overlooked our times of ignorance
and now says that it's time to grow on up!
For he commands all people everywhere
to turn away from our self-centred stuff
For he has fixed a time and place, that pair
so needful for our stories on this Earth,
when we will be lined up against "Adarm -
our last", and too "archetypal", with "new birth",
he's quite concerned that justice, and no harm
be perpetrated in his name, or else...
(And then he is quite graphic about hell's
existence for religious folk, he spells
it out, with all it's suff-er-ing levels!)
But God has chosen this man by his life -
its style & kindness shown above most folk,
with wisdom of the village kind that's rife
in territories occupied. A bloke
who's like they say, "a good man". And you know
that ultimately they can't be kept down.
His life that God raised up, is for to show
that he's who God is pleased with. Judge - was clown!God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. Nor does he need anything that we can supply by working for him, since it is he himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone. From one human being he created all races of people and made them live throughout the whole earth. He himself fixed beforehand the exact times and the limits of the places where they would live. He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us; as someone has said, ‘In him we live and move and exist.’ It is as some of your poets have said, ‘We too are his children.’ Since we are God's children, we should not suppose that his nature is anything like an image of gold or silver or stone, shaped by human art and skill. God has overlooked the times when people did not know him, but now he commands all of them everywhere to turn away from their evil ways. For he has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!” Acts 17:24-31 GNTD
For God will reward each of us according to what we have done. Some people keep on doing good, and seek glory, honor, and immortal life; to them God will give eternal life. Other people are selfish and reject what is right, in order to follow what is wrong; on them God will pour out his anger and fury. There will be suffering and pain for all those who do what is evil, for the Jews* first and also for the Gentiles*. But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews* first and also to the Gentiles*. For God judges everyone by the same standard. Romans 2:6-11 GNTD
* Gentiles are non-Jewish people, as defined by the mindset that saw Jewish people as the chosen people of God. This (above passage) is addressing a specific historical situation, but an equivalent reading of it for our day and age (in my estimation) is the read "people who have been churched" instead of "Jews"; and "unchurched people" for "Gentiles". Try reading it with this exchange, and see if you think Paul might mean that for today?
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