Ph: Faith: Culling The Herd Poem by Brian Johnston

Droves who flash 'brand of God' all will die, Faith or not!
Faith's not blood we can paint on the gates of our homes,
wait for Passover's promise as servant's of God -
man's death falls, a cold rain, on the just and unjust!
Is it Grace that an antelope's leap escapes death
from a predator's hunger with young mouths to feed.
Think! Infirm (and less wary)most likely fall first!
Do I take joy political hacks end their days
with more imprudent actions, pride's need to be right?
Should their death prove God's vengeance, should pride hope they fry?
Is this me? I pray God, may LOVE end me tonight!

Though the good can die young, it's the predator's bite
that excises disease as herds waltz through the rye (1)
with the caution of lemmings. A cliff is the blight
of their stampede toward safety, so blind to new ways
they choose tribal convictions. God's Truth then gets cursed
as "Fake News! " Give us hearts that stay open, kill greed
that suggests that what's real can't have sides. Give us breath
when we're sure our Truth's mountain's divine and won't rust
as time passes. Does faith rest on Christ or facade
built on sand, God's Whole Truth, or the mumbling of gnomes?
Where's our guidance? What justifies Faith when all rot?

No one's Faith can be justified if Truth's confessed!
Most folk do what they do and then pray for God's Grace,
for our hearts tell us truly no bribe made can save
us from sin as we grow from a child to adult!
Those who pray for God's Grace though, don't do what they wish,
but, in service, give others, the gifts we receive
from a Godhead worth honor, Creator worth trust,
though it's known quite precisely: men can't prove God's real.
That's the Faith I call Faith, not the words, "Christ is Lord! "
that the evil give voice to and spit on the cross,
in full Light of what Truth is, reject the Truth still!

Is a church like a herd in the Light of God's will,
or does Grace still apply when a Named Church is boss!
Does a "megachurch" hint God or man needs a sword
to be 'fisher of men? ' Must you practice a spiel
to win more souls to God, or does God break our crust?
If you say "I love Christ, " is such "Faith" your reprieve,
Or Christ's blood, your soul's Grace? Let Faith be Christ nets fish!
Is there way, will earth see (or God's heaven)result:
God's love won by a herd with a plan to behave?
Should man 'cast the first stone' if he rules all of space?
May I (bowing to Faith)see God's love manifest!


Brian Johnston
May 7th in 2020

Poet's Notes:
(1)'Coming thru the Rye' is a charming folk song about young
love as an accidental 'bumping into' of a potential love interest
while wandering thru a field of rye so high that (as a child)you
don't see your lad (or lassie)until you literally wander into the
same space.