"Edges"

Out there on the edges,

Of where so few have been,

No air has been breathed before,

And none knows if or when,

Some cowboy rode his horse there,

Or ever came this way,

The place is still and silent,

Sun and wind hold sway.

There’s a few old, rangy cattle,

That find their way out here,

You almost never see ‘em,

‘Cause man and horse they fear.

They’re all herd-quittin’ outlaws,

That got away before,

And brother they’re elusive,

And quick as deer for sure.

But if you get real lucky,

You might can set a trap,

‘Cause they must come to water,

And after, maybe nap.

They lay up in that thicket,

With their thirst all gone,

Prolly never see ‘em,

Till after moonrise long.

But if you can be patient,

And the moon is bright and full,

They’ll come right down this canyon,

And that’s the time to pull,

Your hat down and your lariat,

And make the quickest loop,

Thrown down as soon as ever,

Some horns or heels to scoop.

‘Cause any hesitation,

And they’re hell and gone away,

And you got none to show for,

A long, exhausting stay.

But out there on the edges,

The cowboy spirit feel,

‘Cause in the still and silent,

That’s where it all gets real.

“…when you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me…” (Mt. 25:40, NLT)

This cowboy poem is about going places where few others go to find cattle. The “edges” are remote places where it’s hard to find and catch them and where a cowboy’s true mettle is tested. Jesus said that we should go after the people on the edges, the marginalized. Who are they, according to Him? The hungry and thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and those in prison. In other words, people who are on the edge of human existence and pose special challenges because of their needs. They aren’t easy to find or help, and in most cases we more likely would ignore them. But that doesn’t seem like an option for true followers of Jesus. If I read it right, our faith is shown to be authentic by what we do, and the top of the list would be to find somebody out there on the edge of things and help them. You can’t do that with convenient Christianity, but it was never meant to be.

Lord, help us find and minister to those who have been overlooked and gotten away from others, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Mark Maggiori, markmaggiori.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Mark, and God bless you.