"Live"

Gone for just the weekend,

Down the road apiece when,

We noticed people all along the way,

No matter what their color,

They seemed to like each other,

Which prompted me to write this verse today.

If driving through Comanche,

And don’t want nothin’ fancy,

Try the enchilada at Miguel’s,

They bring you lots of nachos,

And music songs from discos,

Guarantee that you’ll leave feelin’ swell.

Travelin’ mostly two-lane,

The little towns with strange names,

Places like old Goldthwaite and San Saba,

One wide spot they called Priddy,

And far from any city,

Who lives there, we just don’t have the data.

Texas is a fine place,

It puts a smile on my face,

Just celebratin’ that diversity,

Hill country weinersnitzel,

And lots to wet your whistle,

Ethnic vibes for everyone to see.

On God’s earth angry places,

But here like an oasis,

I find the folks as friendly as can be,

And though I wasn’t born here,

I want to make it real clear,

Me and Texas solidly agree.

And, yes, I love the Good Lord,

I’m trusting in His Good Word,

Tells me He loves everyone the same,

And I believe He’ll show us,

All we need to grow us,

Learn to love and call upon His name.

And, no, God’s not a Texan,

But if you need direction,

You might need to take a little drive,

Come to the heart of Texas,

You might find divine nexus,

And show you how to live life more alive.

“If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves we have passed from death to life…”( 1 John 14, NLT)

One of the important things about doing church together is that we learn to love people. Christians are called to practice on each other so that we can learn to love everybody. This is especially challenging when we have to deal with racial, cultural and behavioral differences. Put simply, it’s harder for us to get along with people who are different from us and more challenging to relate to. But, truth is, the Holy Spirit will help us do just that. He helps us see past the things that divide us and focus on the things we all have (and need) in common. Unless and until we learn to find common ground, we will never be able to effectively lead others to Christ. But the Lord will help us learn it if we are willing. This little tongue-in-cheek poem about Texas simply illustrates the need we have to love one another. Love is still the answer, and God is love.

Lord, help us learn to love people who are different from us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Herman Walker, hermanwalker.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Herman, and God bless you.