family, tribe, nation, kind
It’s words that help communicate and paint
a diff’rent kind of picture - in our minds.
So helpful to us - though sometimes just quaint.
But disconnected from culture they bind
us in our model worlds labelled with names,
the categories all defined to hold,
to capture living breathing things in games -
not knowing them and growing to be bold
within relationship with fellows here.
Life then becomes a scrabbl’ing to define.
It’s fine to hold it up on hand - to peer
and give the choice to fly away -not “Mine!”
At least the mine of ownership - where owned
as thing alone! - not fellow trav’ler - One
like us - a neighbour. Wrongs can be atoned
for, not as mechanism, but what’s done
when friends relate, and see the world through eyes
of Other, and then choose to deal with faults,
for immaturities aren’t then despised.
They’re celebrated - steps, and not insults!
And acting on God’s will makes joy abound,
with point and purpose - meaning don’t demean.
To listen and respond to word or sound
of God who’s moving through his place, to clean
it up, and have a look at how it is,
appreciate the goodness, lend a hand
where he is asked. For even though it’s his,
we also are God’s people. Help us stand.
Notes:
Sometimes we forget that words are themselves metaphors for the realities they represent. Also we’re using metaphor in other ways each time we draw a picture using lines on paper to represent something or someone, or when we make a sculpture connected to life.
We are responding to the word of God, and fulfilling our reason d'etre (reason for being), and and then fulfilling our beings, whenever we make this physical world serve the human project (which is God’s blessing on us): of ruling it in overall thoughtfulness for its good, & commitment to its good, and therefore listening to other points of view e.g. its own indications of good, to understand it in reality. This may involve things as varied as learning to .. dig deep holes, bend steel, hold weights, kiss my woman well, understand the physical world, understand the chemical world, understand the social world, understand the psychological world of humans, horses, etc). These can be proper and wonderful responses to a word from our God, and can together make up a life of proper response to him (prayer).
For us, response come before, and as the start of, true initiation.
