Family
Do you enjoy
Your family
Or is it a ploy
Or an anomaly
A ploy to get money
A ploy to get affection
A ploy to be funny
A ploy for connection
A connection to what
A connection to who
A connection in my gut
A connection made of glue
Join us together
Fasten us to each other
A common tether
Mother or brother
Is this common
Is this normal
Is this unusual
Is this irregular
No it is not
For many to live
Relatives not forgot
Families to thriveWhat is the common thread
Families to proceed
Is it the homestead
Or blood of a family creed
A creed to love
A creed to support
A creed to encourage
A creed to equally share
Generation to generation
Forgive one another
Give for the duration
Smother and smother
Smother with love
Smother with kindness
Smother with resources
Smother with mercy
Mercy is the hardest
When we feel wronged
But we can harness
By remembering we belonged
Belonged to a family line
Belonged to a congregation
Belonged to the vine
Belonged to a narration
A narration to work together
A narration to read
A narration to learn
A narration to believe
Believe in God
Believe in kin
Believe all are flawed
Believe we all sin
Sin is there
Every single day
Repent with prayer
Believe and pray
God is first
Family second
Our nation third
And there is no fourth
Align on one
Read the one
Learn the one
Worship the one
Forgive those in two
Love those in two
Show mercy to those in two
Share with those in two
Honor those in three
Respect those in three
Support those in three
Affirm those in three
Teach yours these
Time and time again
These are the keys
Our family will remain
Children of Man
Who is this man
Mortals of man
Mankind of man
People of man
Who is he
Who is she
Who is thee
Who is me
But children
Made in Gods image
And we are many million
In lifes scrimmage
People of color
People of race
People of religion
People of haste
Haste to blame one another
Haste to accuse one another
Haste to hate one another
Haste to destroy one another
Do we understand
Do we care
Do we walk hand in hand
Do we stand there
Stand there in dogma
Stand there in fairness
Stand there in belief
Stand there in bareness
Naked to face God
To seek His forgiveness
Knowing I am flawed
My sin of impulsiveness
Rushing about
Wanting it all
Waiting for a give out
Not waiting for the call
The call to accept
There is more to living
But I just slept
Instead of forgiving
Forgiving my self
Forgiving my family
Forgiving my friends
Forgiving my humanity
Is it too late
To be embraced
To enter the gate
And to taste
Taste the love
Taste the goodness
Taste the mercy
Taste the assurance
No it has not past
The final chance
So be quite fast
To enter the dance
Dance with Jesus
Dance with God
Dance with the Holy Spirit
Dance with Christs bride
The Bride of Christ
Gather in Christ
Body of Christ
The church is Christ
The church is your family
The church is your base
The church is no anomaly
The church is your place
Grow in the church
Disciple in the church
Serve in the church
Reconcile in the church
Not always pretty
Not always nice
What a pity
Take my advice
Better there
Then anywhere
A house of prayer
Jesus is near
Near to our hearts
Near to our thoughts
Near to our hurts
Near to our faults
Accept His presence
Accept His gift
Accept His peace
Accept His love
Notes
Proverbs 8:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 “To you, O people, I call out;
I raise my voice to all mankind.
Proverbs 8:31 New International Version (NIV)
31 rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in mankind.
Proverbs 15:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 Death and Destruction[a] lie open before the Lord—
how much more do human hearts!
Psalm 11:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
Psalm 12:8 New International Version (NIV)
8 who freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.
Psalm 14:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
Psalm 21:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.
Psalm 33:13 New International Version (NIV)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and sees all mankind;
Psalm 53:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 God looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
Psalm 57:4 New International Version (NIV)
4 I am in the midst of lions;
I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
Psalm 58[a]For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[b]1 Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
Psalm 66:5 New International Version (NIV)
5 Come and see what God has done,
his awesome deeds for mankind!
Psalm 89:47 New International Version (NIV)
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.
For what futility you have created all humanity!
Psalm 90:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 You turn people back to dust,
saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
Psalm 107:8 (4 times in Psalm 107) New International Version (NIV)
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
Psalm 115:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
Psalm 145:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Ecclesiastes 1:13 New International Version (NIV)
13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind!
Ecclesiastes 2:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.
Ecclesiastes 3:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 New International Version (NIV)
18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.
Ecclesiastes 3:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[a]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 8:11 New International Version (NIV)
11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong.
Ecclesiastes 9:3 New International Version (NIV)
3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
Ecclesiastes 9:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them.
Jeremiah 32:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.
Ezekiel 31:14 New International Version (NIV)
14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.
Daniel 2:38 New International Version (NIV)
38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
Daniel 10:16 New International Version (NIV)
16 Then one who looked like a man[a] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I feel very weak.
Joel 1:12 New International Version (NIV)
12 The vine is dried up
and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the palm and the apple[a] tree—
all the trees of the field—are dried up.
Surely the people’s joy
is withered away.
Micah 5:7 New International Version (NIV)
7 The remnant of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
Mark 3:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,
