To Love Our God

To love our God with all our hearts,
 let kindness fill our deeds,
then treat our neighbours as ourselves
 and tend Creation's needs.
And yet we dwell on how we're wronged
 and hang on to our pains;
how can the Good News flourish here
 if bitterness remains?

How rapidly we disapprove
 of others who transgress.
But when we judge, then we are judged,
 the righteous too, oppress.
If tempted, would we differ
 had those choices been our own?
Let's walk in one another's shoes
 before we would disown.

Just who of us can claim that they
 are wholly without fault?
Yet if we fail to do our part
 we've surely lost our salt.
In talent wasted, help denied,
 the good we do not do,
to blandly say we've done no harm,
 is less than perfect too.

Some foolishly blame hand or eye
 for anger, lust or greed,
but lame excuses cannot heal,
 nor help a world in need.
Yet when we let compassion rule
 in everything we do,
and reconcile with those we've hurt
 we let our love break through.

Text © Allan Baer, 2013
290 Indian Rd. Kingston ON Canada K7M 1T8
email: allanbaer7@gmail.com
website: www.crossroadsunited.ca/spirit