"Middle"

Say you’ll meet me in the middle?

It’s where you want to be,

But I don’t think the middle,

Is what solves problems, see.

You say I’m on the edges,

And that appears extreme,

But I just have to tell you,

It’s not the way it seems.

You see from the middle,

All views have equal time,

And none can claim the high ground,

Say the others out of line.

But the edges make decisions,

Without a vote to go,

But based on a conviction,

On what is right they know.

Don’t have to have consensus,

Don’t have to take a vote,

Don’t ever ask permission,

And it is good to note.

That some of the great thinkers,

Inventors, pioneers,

Seemed extreme to everyone,

And rocked their world with fears,

That somehow their ideas,

Would take hold strong and grow,

Could cause a revolution,

Just better not to know.

The earth’s not flat,

And not the center,

Germs are real,

Life’s fender-bender.

There is a God,

Designer real,

He is the One,

Who made this deal.

Think of the Middle Ages,

Martin Luther comes to mind,

Became the great reformer,

But not so he could find,

The middle ground’s “sweet” answer,

Shut up and go on home,

But he took down a hammer,

And nailed up his whole tome.

Fast forward to another,

Named Martin Luther King,

The people needed freedom,

He risked his everything.

Think of Patrick Henry,

Old George and Light Horse Lee,

They said it and they meant it,

It’s death or liberty.

And many a great battle,

From Fallujah to Viet Nam,

Normandy’s old beaches,

The blood-red tide it ran.

God sent His Son,

To pay the price,

He said to follow,

His words weren’t “nice.”

Will tell you there are reasons,

Some will hear the call,

It’s to and from the edges,

It means some die and fall.

A generic stance is easy,

You can learn to play both sides,

Of course they all could hate you,

Which makes for rough old rides.

But better to be someone,

Who dies for what is right,

Than live life in the middle,

And miss out on the fight.

Die to live,

And lose to win,

Lay down your life,

And turn from sin.

Never be cold,

Be hot, He shouts,

‘Cause if lukewarm,

I’ll spit you out.

Inoffensive, so correct,

Will not win the world I ‘spect,

You’ll get along as others do,

But the bad will come for you.

In the middle might seem safe,

The smoothest way to go,

But in the end your soul will chafe,

So just make sure you know,

The ones who make the wheel to turn,

And do the greatest good,

Are those who will not play the game,

From middle ground, nor should.

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other!” (Rev. 3:15-16)

Lukewarmness is the great plague of the contemporary church. No matter our worship style, if we become slack in being totally committed and all in for Jesus, and become lukewarm, God promises us to spit us out of His mouth. It’s actually better to be cold than lukewarm. At least people who are spiritually cold know that they have a problem. People who are hot know they have the solution. But lukewarm people aren’t right with God, and won’t admit they need anything. Those with sincere hearts will speak the truth in love.

Lord, deliver us from lukewarmness and help us to be on fire for You, in Jesus’ name.

Corriente saddle.