Politics

Reflections on the State of Our Union

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
A painting of the U.S. Capitol Building by Elizabeth Roskam

The state of our union
is not what we’d like.
There’s growing division.
The dawn’s early light
has morphed into darkness
and shrouded our hope
that unity can be restored.

A Congress divided.
A White House beet-red
from classified docs
Biden wants put to bed.
And fears of recession
that won’t go away
just add to our growing despair.

There’re protests in cities.
Things aren’t black and white
when it comes to policing
and criminals’ rights.
The blindfold of Justice
needs to be retied
while those who are guilty are judged.

The Church is in conflict
over what Scripture means.
Are it’s teachings still timeless
or what culture deems?
Should preachers be silenced
from speaking their minds?
Has tolerance trumped what was truth?

Yes, the state of our union
is fragile at best.
There’s constant division and brewing unrest.
We need a revival of psyche and soul.
May God bless our nation again!

Saint Michael of Wheaton

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
Wheaton College alumnus Michael Gerson was a Presidential speech writer and syndicated columnist

Saint Michael of Wheaton
like Anselm and Paul
gifted words to those needing to speak.
With eloquent reason
and faith-grounded thought,
Michael strengthened the hopeful and weak.

He gave a Bush fire
that brilliantly burned
as the White House became holy ground.
And like Gershwin, Mike Gerson
made simple words sing
through his adjectives, adverbs and nouns.

And today we are grieving
the death of a man
who gave life through the columns he wrote.
Through Saint Michael of Wheaton,
Christ’s Kingdom has grown
by a journalist’s penchant for notes.

https://www.npr.org/2022/11/19/1137925730/opinion-remembering-mike-gerson-washington-post-columnist

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/11/17/michael-gerson-speechwriter-post-dies/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Gerson

Life versus Love

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos
A Supreme Court ruling has raised the bar of civil discourse

Lord of Life, Lord of Love,
whether we’re pro-life or pro-choice,
we’re amateurs
when it comes to disagreeing agreeably.
Help us learn to love our enemies as You taught.

Regardless of our views on when life begins,
may love begin anew each day
as we voice our opinions
without malice or spite.
May we resist attempts from either side
that would seek to abort
the spirit of Christ within us.

Protect us from killing one another
with words… or worse.

May Your Kingdom come.
May Your will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven.

Marking a Monarch’s Platinum Jubilee

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Your Majesty, your Jubilee
now calls to mind your reign
that’s showered countless Brits with more than tea.
Your subjects curtsy and they bow
with homage in their hearts.
You represent their love of royalty.

“God, Save the Queen”
they proudly sing as palace guards stand tall.
The lyrics of this anthem voice their prayer,
that God would guide your every step
and give to you long life,
that you might sense God’s presence everywhere.

Elizabeth, the world-at-large
now celebrates your rule.
Beyond your realm we recognize your face.
We are not blind to griefs you’ve known
or critics of The Crown.
But through it all, we marvel at your grace.

Your Majesty, we mark your reign
(three-score-and-ten grand years)
as flags fly high and banners are unfurled.
Your Jubilee provides a peek
at that for which we long…
real peace and oneness in our war-torn world.

From Refugee to Royalty

/ Greg Asimakoupoulos

Remembering the remarkable Madeleine Albright

When it comes to American royalty,
she checked all the boxes.
Her amazing life
was a fairytale come true.

As a child refugee,
whose grandparents were victims
of the holocaust,
she saluted Lady Liberty
with allegiance in her heart
and a twinkle in her eye.

She elevated the role of secretary
to a whole new level.
She broached serious subjects
with integrity and dignity.

Madeleine Albright
was regal on every level.
Her face and her jewelry
sparkled with grace.
Her name called attention
to her brilliance.

This diminutive diva
on the world stage
was a rock star in global affairs.
She towered over her peers
with Katanji-like class.

Though slight in height,
we looked up to her.
While she stood only 4’10” high,
she was tall enough
to shatter a glass ceiling.

With John Glenn,
Madeleine Albright lived a legacy
that was out of this world.

As we look up to the heavens tonight,
let us thank God
for this princess of peace
who illuminated our world for good
and gave our daughters
a role model to which to aspire.

Peace to her memory!