Category: Inequity

Victoria

by Lucy M. Young

She came to us, bright-eyed, vivacious;
Brimming with enthusiasm, joyous and hopeful,
As she faced her life of service to the Lord.
But then what dreadful blasphemy she perpetrated -
The service started a few minutes late!
Oh horrors!
And then, alas, the service of Communion -
Passing bread from hand to hand -
Oh mercy, what a dreadful sin - 
Were all hands clean?
The meaning of the service lost completely to a few self-righteous souls.
How many similar atrocities has she committed?

She loves us all just as we are,
But she is only one small voice crying in a wilderness
Of sanctimonious bigots
And weak-kneed doubters floundering in the dark,
Pulled first one way and then another
By the hypocritical and baseless castigations
Of a narrow-minded core of pseudo-Christians.

You who are doing this to her:
What makes you think you are so perfect
That you can sit in judgement of her work?
Who among you is so pure as to be qualified
To cast the first stone?
Whoever you are stand up and be counted.
And let the love and wisdom of our Lord
Judge you justly.

Oh hypocrites!
Instead of picking at the tiny flaws we might find in her,
We should take a clear, unbiased look
At our own closets' skeletons.
If we can do this honestly we'll realize
That we're not capable of judging her.
Let us then be quiet and receptive
As she strives to lead us closer to the Lord.
If we cannot do this it's time to leave the church
And try to find another.



photo by Jarren Simmons

So What?

by Lucy M. Young
A fine young man admits to being gay -
He's fired from his job;
Another, not allowed to serve his country,
Is beaten, tortured, killed.
So what if they were gay?
It only means God made them just a little different.

God gave me brown eyes.
Maybe yours are blue -
Does that mean that I should punish you
Because your eyes are not like mine?

Maybe you like apple pie with cheese -
I like it plain;
Your hair may be curly, mine is straight;
Your skin is brown or black or yellow,
Mine is white -
How does that make either one of us superior?

God made us as we are -
We are His children.
He has good reasons for the differences.
As yet we know not why,
But some day we will know and understand.

Why should we hate and crucify each other
Because we are not all alike?
What a dull world this would be
If we were all the same, clones of each other,
In color, gender, creed, and preferences.
Would we not then abuse and curse each other
Because we were so bored with all the sameness?

Dark or light, tall or short,
Gay or straight -
God made us, every one.
He loves us all just as we are.
Who are we to question his omnipotence?



photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

A Prayer for the Homeless

by Lucy M. Young

When I awoke this morning, Lord,
And looked out at your beautiful world,
I thought of the other nations on earth
Whose banners of war are unfurled;
While here the morning songs of the birds
Brought music into my room;
And a softly whispering spring-time breeze
Held the scent of lilacs in bloom.

While I enjoyed the quiet peace
Of my little country home,
I thought of the homeless far and near
Who have been condemned to roam
In search of a place to call their own,
No matter how humble it be -
Just a tiny spot to make their home
From war and tyranny free.

Help them find it, Lord - a place of their own -
Secure and safe from fear.
Let them know the joy of freedom and peace,
The assurance that you are near.
Let them settle down with their families and friends,
Let their children romp in the sun;
May they never again know the terrors of war
Or hear the sound of a gun.

photo by Fares Hamouche on Unsplash