My heart grieves
The poor increase at every hand
And illegal foreigners too
Birthrates skyrocket,
We can't grow enough food
Prices inflate
Natural catastrophes,
Millions homeless,
Floods, winds, droughts, plagues
Earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides
Hurricanes
Cholera, malaria, typhoid, AIDS
Laying low the thousands, millions
Criminals and crime and violence
Perversion and greed
Wars and rumors of same
Recession, layoffs, terminations
Failures, closers and foreclosures
The poor increase at every hand
I feel surrounded and I am afraid.
I could cast all my fears on God
And know His peace
I could trust Him
And not be afraid
And then
I could feed the hungry
From my abundance
I could clothe the naked
From my bulging closets
I could invite the homeless
Into my spacious house
I could tell the lost and dying
About the wondrous love
of God my Savior
I could
But I don't trust enough
To not be afraid
But I don't love enough
To not be afraid
So I’ll just secure my doors
A little tighter
Some dead bolts and bars
To bring a sense of security
I'll just secure my borders
And my identity a little tighter
Fences, guards and fire walls
I'll just gather a little more
To put away
Against a rainy day
I'll build my house a little larger
My hedges a little higher
My gates a little stronger
My dwelling just little more
Comfortable
As I isolate myself a little deeper
Inside my virtual cocoon
Of electronic gadgetry
No longer listening to
What I don't want to hear
Staring out occasionally
In apathetic lethargy
At the thousands dying daily
Without hope of heaven.
I could tell them
But I didn't and I won't
I could help them
But I didn't and I won't
But I will carefully give thanks
For all that Jesus has done for me.

Jason Nightingale, Wordsower International