A call to understanding not agreement

Our culture isn’t good or bad.
It’s just what makes us tick.
Like cultured milk that turns to cheese,
it need not make us sick.

Our culture is the way we live.
The values we embrace.
It is the language that we speak.
It is our nation’s face.

Our culture is our shared beliefs.
What we contend is true.
It is our common way of life
that shapes the things we do.

Our culture changes through the years.
And we’d best be informed
of what is current or passé.
We need to know the norms.

How Phil Mickelson scored a hole in one

Phil Mickelson the golfer
is a father, but there’s more.
From what I’ve heard he also is a dad.
He’s a dad who loves his children
more than prize money or fame.
Priorities to him are iron clad.

The U.S. Open beckons
but this golfer won’t be swayed.
His daughter’s graduation matters more.
A dad (unlike a father)
knows the best trophy of all
is based on time and not the lowest score.

What makes a father “dad-like”
is denying his desires
and giving those he loves what they most need.
A dad invests the interest
that he earns by spending time
avoiding traps of selfishness and greed.

Check out: https://www.sbnation.com/golf/2017/6/8/15759852/phil-mickelson-us-open-2017-erin-hills

Remembering those who fought on D-Day

A day at the beach
proved to be so much more.
The lives that were lost
turned the tide of that war.

So as we remember
what took place that day,
let’s cherish our freedom
and take time to pray.

Let’s humbly acknowledge
our longings for peace
as Uncle Sam’s nephew
or Uncle Sam’s niece.

Let’s ask the Almighty
for courage to fight
advances of terror
that bleach knuckles white.

Let’s ask God to give us
that same daring glance
that marked those young soldiers
in Normandy France.

Asking God to silence Kim Jong-Um

There’s a madman in Korea
who has missiles on his mind.
Kim Jong-Um (it seems) is bent on making war.
He’s convinced our nation’s evil
and deserves to be destroyed.
What he hopes to do would end in global horror.

Though he’s capable, he’s crazy.
He’s shortsighted and he’s cruel.
He is heartless with the morals of a frog.
We must stop him and disarm him
lest he reach his stated goal
and wreak havoc in a country blessed by God.

Wipe that smile from his face, Lord.
Help this young dictator find
that he’s playing with much more than simply fire.
May the grownups that advise him
hold him hostage with the truth
that his brainless acts will trigger worldwide ire.

Performing acts of kindness wins the day

The greatest show on earth
is not a circus ‘neath a tent.
The acts that mean the most are what we do.
To show a little kindness
or to listen with our hearts.
To sit beside someone whose days are few.

The kind of acts that “wow” the crowd
aren’t those on high trapeze.
Performing acts of mercy wins the day.
To help a widow in her grief
or serve a refugee
are acts that keep Christ’s critics held at bay.

I’d rather see a show of love
than just a show of hands.
To vote is easy. Doing right is tough.
To show God’s grace to those denied
the privileges of wealth
is really good, but that is not enough.

To advocate for those maligned
or protest against hate
are acts that our Creator would applaud.
When values become visible,
we show the world our faith
and point towards the loving heart of God.