If you fly from above,
If you run from afar,
If you swoop in from nowhere,
Or drive invisible cars,
If you leap buildings,
In only one bound,
If you have super fast legs,
Or ears like a hound,
If you come from mars,
Or far distant lands,
Can you really save us,
Is it really in your hands?
Can anyone help us?
No matter their height,
No matter their power,
In the dead of the night?
Not any heroes,
No, not our idols,
We patiently wait for them,
Stagnant and idle,
We sit still in our chairs,
As hell rages around us,
Sipping our sweet tea,
And not making a fuss,
Hoping others will come,
Clad in bright tights,
To save our poor neighbors,
From their horrible plights,
We see those in need,
The dirty, the poor,
We see where they sleep,
In the shelter of a door,
They eat what they can,
They sleep on the street,
We speed by them quickly,
Without even a peep,
We shy from their touch,
Swiftly dropping them change,
Wondering if humans,
Can also catch mange,
We stick up our noses,
Look to the sky,
Wash clean our hands,
Pretend to be shy,
Clean our nice suits,
For the thirtieth time,
And look on them with hate,
As if standing were crime,
“Lets send them a check”,
We all claim we say,
Whatever’s left over,
At the end of the day,
No, I do not belittle you,
Continue to give,
Just once in awhile,
Come see where they live,
Come and touch it,
Come feel and taste,
Yes see what they do,
See they are not a waste,
Get your hands dirty,
Leave home your briefcase,
Come and see this problem,
Look it full in the face,
“I’m waiting for others”,
Don’t you dare say,
The only change that can happen,
Can happen today,
It takes one to start a fight,
To start a band, or a club,
So lets have just one,
Who will step up in love.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
The Final Hours Of Elijah
II Kings 2:9-11
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
They had just crossed the Jordan river. Normally, it would take quite awhile to traverse the dark waters, but not today. No, today Elijah and Elisha needed to cross. And when they needed to cross, no one stood in their way. Not even the water.
Elisha was walking across on land- dry land, for that matter- and had not even realized what had been done. This bothered him as he walked beside his old friend, speaking of the beauty of this part of the land, and what an amazing job God had done. They spoke of the birds, the beautiful flowers, the small streams and the large trees. But all the while, Elisha was thinking on something else.
It had just occurred to him how apathetic he had become towards God. He walked with Elijah everywhere and had seen more miracles performed than any other man. He had seen the bond that Elijah and the Lord shared. He had seen all this, and had been a part of it for a very long time. Perhaps that was why. Perhaps he had been with Elijah too long. Been told of the Lord, and shown miracles a bit too much.
But what was he to do? Elijah was on his way to meet Him- God, the very Lord of the earth Himself- and Elisha was worried he would not return from the meeting. Twice, he had almost said something. Twice, he had almost called out, “Elijah, I need you! I am weak!”
Twice, he had almost begged God to keep Elijah with him. But he said nothing. He did not tell Elijah of his feelings, nor of his apathy. He just walked alongside this man of God, his mentor, his teacher, his dearest friend, and spoke of the weather.
“Are you alright?”
The question was sudden, coming in the middle of a sentence about cloud formations, and loud. It seemed as if the valley, the entire city, were waiting on Elisha’s reply. Waiting to see if he would speak his heart, or if he would follow his friend in silence, his questions unanswered, his heart at war.
“I am fine” he replied in a small, wavering voice.
Elijah looked at him sternly, and Elisha though for sure he would see through the weak disguise he had put on. But then, his features softened, and he continued the story of the clouds. Elisha cursed himself, he had thrown out the opportunity.
“You know,” Elijah began again, “ ask what you will of me. Before the Lord has taken me up. Ask anything.”
There is was again. Elisha was visibly distraught now, and Elijah could see the agony in his face. “I pray…” his voice was hard and scratchy, as if he had never drunk a glass of water. He cleared his dry and dusty throat and continued. “I pray, bless me with a double portion of the spirit that the Lord has given you.” He cut off the sentence quickly, and looked at the ground like a misbehaved child, knowing he had crossed the line.
It was now Elijah’s turn to look uncertain. His brow furrowed in thought, his forehead wrinkling all the way down to his eyes. “You…you have asked a hard thing of me. But, nevertheless, if you see when the Lord takes me from you, it shall be as you requested.” What was this? Had Elijah accepted his outlandish proposal? Elisha slowly raised his head, and looked into Elijah’s dark brown eyes. Elijah smiled, only slightly, for no one had seen him do more than that, but oh, how his eyes seemed to rejoice in what Elisha had said! And then, he stepped forward and embraced him. Elijah wrapped his large, work worn arms around Elisha, and hugged him close. And at that moment, wrapped in a tight hug with his closest friend, having asked the only question he had to ask, Elisha knew that this was why he was in this place, at this time. The Lord had made him for this purpose- to follow this man, learn from him, and then one day, take over his position. To tell the world of God’s love, to never give up, to perform miracles, and to show them the way to God. They slowly pulled apart, both smiling. Or, as close to a full smile as Elijah could manage.
“You will do a wonderful job, Elisha. I know you will.”
As they walked further down the valley, they no longer spoke of the scenery, or the weather. They spoke of God, of man, and what Elisha must do to connect the two. Then, just as they waded through a small stream, as suddenly as the question had occurred earlier, Elijah looked into the sky. He turned his face towards the sun, eyes widened, with his mouth partially open. Slowly, he raised first one arm, and then the other toward the sun, and stared full on at it. Elisha blinked away tears as he too stared at the sun.
“Why do you stare at the sun, Elijah?” he asked, laying a hand on his shoulder and turning away from the light.
“I look not on the sun Elisha, I look on the Son!” he shouted the last part, his deep voice echoing across the valley. And as the final echoes died away, and Elisha again tried to look up, he saw a flaming chariot burst, as it were, from the sun. it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, and he would take that image with him to the grave. The chariot was manned by no one, and it was just as well, for the entire contraption, even the horses, were of white flames, so hot Elisha could feel their heat, even here on the ground. Elijah’s eyes widened even more, and his mouth opened in a silent shout of praise. Elisha saw an amazing spectacle- the chariot of the Lord himself. But Elijah- Elijah saw eternity. Elijah saw what he had accomplished, what he had failed, what he had done for the Lord and what he had shunned. Elijah saw all of eternity, and saw himself next to his Maker, his Lover, his one true God, forever and ever. Elijah saw his Lord.
Elisha shielded his eyes in his arm, tears streaming down his face, and kneeled to the ground next to his friend. He cried out, over the sound of flames, over the sound of the horses, over the sound of the Lord’s very presence, “My father! My father!, the chariot! The chariot of Israel has come!”
A terrible wind began to blow, howling and adding to the sounds now covering the valley, and echoing in every direction. It howled, and beat upon Elisha, battering him to and fro as if he were nothing but a splinter adrift at sea. He was tossed about, and wondered what was to become of him. And then, as suddenly as all of this had occurred, it stopped. The heat, the wind, all of the noise was gone. Elisha then looked up to the place where his lifelong comrade had stood, and saw nothing. The mantle of Elijah was upon him now. He had been taught everything there was to learn, and now must go and tell others the same. He must continue Elijah’s ministry, and now, at long last he was ready.
And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
They had just crossed the Jordan river. Normally, it would take quite awhile to traverse the dark waters, but not today. No, today Elijah and Elisha needed to cross. And when they needed to cross, no one stood in their way. Not even the water.
Elisha was walking across on land- dry land, for that matter- and had not even realized what had been done. This bothered him as he walked beside his old friend, speaking of the beauty of this part of the land, and what an amazing job God had done. They spoke of the birds, the beautiful flowers, the small streams and the large trees. But all the while, Elisha was thinking on something else.
It had just occurred to him how apathetic he had become towards God. He walked with Elijah everywhere and had seen more miracles performed than any other man. He had seen the bond that Elijah and the Lord shared. He had seen all this, and had been a part of it for a very long time. Perhaps that was why. Perhaps he had been with Elijah too long. Been told of the Lord, and shown miracles a bit too much.
But what was he to do? Elijah was on his way to meet Him- God, the very Lord of the earth Himself- and Elisha was worried he would not return from the meeting. Twice, he had almost said something. Twice, he had almost called out, “Elijah, I need you! I am weak!”
Twice, he had almost begged God to keep Elijah with him. But he said nothing. He did not tell Elijah of his feelings, nor of his apathy. He just walked alongside this man of God, his mentor, his teacher, his dearest friend, and spoke of the weather.
“Are you alright?”
The question was sudden, coming in the middle of a sentence about cloud formations, and loud. It seemed as if the valley, the entire city, were waiting on Elisha’s reply. Waiting to see if he would speak his heart, or if he would follow his friend in silence, his questions unanswered, his heart at war.
“I am fine” he replied in a small, wavering voice.
Elijah looked at him sternly, and Elisha though for sure he would see through the weak disguise he had put on. But then, his features softened, and he continued the story of the clouds. Elisha cursed himself, he had thrown out the opportunity.
“You know,” Elijah began again, “ ask what you will of me. Before the Lord has taken me up. Ask anything.”
There is was again. Elisha was visibly distraught now, and Elijah could see the agony in his face. “I pray…” his voice was hard and scratchy, as if he had never drunk a glass of water. He cleared his dry and dusty throat and continued. “I pray, bless me with a double portion of the spirit that the Lord has given you.” He cut off the sentence quickly, and looked at the ground like a misbehaved child, knowing he had crossed the line.
It was now Elijah’s turn to look uncertain. His brow furrowed in thought, his forehead wrinkling all the way down to his eyes. “You…you have asked a hard thing of me. But, nevertheless, if you see when the Lord takes me from you, it shall be as you requested.” What was this? Had Elijah accepted his outlandish proposal? Elisha slowly raised his head, and looked into Elijah’s dark brown eyes. Elijah smiled, only slightly, for no one had seen him do more than that, but oh, how his eyes seemed to rejoice in what Elisha had said! And then, he stepped forward and embraced him. Elijah wrapped his large, work worn arms around Elisha, and hugged him close. And at that moment, wrapped in a tight hug with his closest friend, having asked the only question he had to ask, Elisha knew that this was why he was in this place, at this time. The Lord had made him for this purpose- to follow this man, learn from him, and then one day, take over his position. To tell the world of God’s love, to never give up, to perform miracles, and to show them the way to God. They slowly pulled apart, both smiling. Or, as close to a full smile as Elijah could manage.
“You will do a wonderful job, Elisha. I know you will.”
As they walked further down the valley, they no longer spoke of the scenery, or the weather. They spoke of God, of man, and what Elisha must do to connect the two. Then, just as they waded through a small stream, as suddenly as the question had occurred earlier, Elijah looked into the sky. He turned his face towards the sun, eyes widened, with his mouth partially open. Slowly, he raised first one arm, and then the other toward the sun, and stared full on at it. Elisha blinked away tears as he too stared at the sun.
“Why do you stare at the sun, Elijah?” he asked, laying a hand on his shoulder and turning away from the light.
“I look not on the sun Elisha, I look on the Son!” he shouted the last part, his deep voice echoing across the valley. And as the final echoes died away, and Elisha again tried to look up, he saw a flaming chariot burst, as it were, from the sun. it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen, and he would take that image with him to the grave. The chariot was manned by no one, and it was just as well, for the entire contraption, even the horses, were of white flames, so hot Elisha could feel their heat, even here on the ground. Elijah’s eyes widened even more, and his mouth opened in a silent shout of praise. Elisha saw an amazing spectacle- the chariot of the Lord himself. But Elijah- Elijah saw eternity. Elijah saw what he had accomplished, what he had failed, what he had done for the Lord and what he had shunned. Elijah saw all of eternity, and saw himself next to his Maker, his Lover, his one true God, forever and ever. Elijah saw his Lord.
Elisha shielded his eyes in his arm, tears streaming down his face, and kneeled to the ground next to his friend. He cried out, over the sound of flames, over the sound of the horses, over the sound of the Lord’s very presence, “My father! My father!, the chariot! The chariot of Israel has come!”
A terrible wind began to blow, howling and adding to the sounds now covering the valley, and echoing in every direction. It howled, and beat upon Elisha, battering him to and fro as if he were nothing but a splinter adrift at sea. He was tossed about, and wondered what was to become of him. And then, as suddenly as all of this had occurred, it stopped. The heat, the wind, all of the noise was gone. Elisha then looked up to the place where his lifelong comrade had stood, and saw nothing. The mantle of Elijah was upon him now. He had been taught everything there was to learn, and now must go and tell others the same. He must continue Elijah’s ministry, and now, at long last he was ready.
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