“Well, No, It's Not Quite Like That...”

No –
It may be yours, but it’s not mine,
Though eyes of blue, brown hair that’s fine
Might lead you to say things like that,
It’s just not true – and that’s a fact.

I thought it was – as others do;
I heard you talk, share current news
Of Pastors past, and folks we knew
Back when I also thought like you –

At least a bit – you know, the camps,
And conferences, where we up-ramped
To take our places – Bible schools
Where profs tried hard to teach us fools.

No, I was not a part of it
With you – some deaths required a shift
So members of the Davis clan
Dispersed and wed throughout the land.

But Ada Davis, Freeman wed
And clan was born from two, instead
Of dying off through stroke of fate –
Two scions wed, raised family great.

So yes, I too had rich milieu;
Did all the things young churchmen do,
In sister-clan these hundred years
Since Ada taught in Brandon here.

But no – you said, “We culture share”
And thought perhaps that, sitting there,
I was at one within your clan
Of whites who dominate this land –

But no – and since two-thousand six,
I’ve been released – insight that fixed
All this for me, was, “I was Cree”
A fact which had eluded me.

You said, “No need to learn the rest,
We have our culture (“think it’s best”
Was left unsaid – we all think that –
We're ethnocentric – that’s a fact).

And in one sense that’s true, I guess;
Not that we’re one, reject the rest,
But more in sense you meant your word,
“Do not divert, that text be heard –

“For if we do not heed this text,
By reminiscing past ’bout Lekx,
Or multi-culture’s ways in life,
We’ll miss God’s word for us in strife.

“And Bible text is why we’re here
This afternoon, so it’s made clear;
For, Holy Spirit dwells therein
And bids us grow to victory win.”

And no – it’s not I’m piquiune,
Insisting that within that room
I’m different, just to note that fact –
“Digression” would be in that act.

It’s ‘no’ because that is the point –
The fact I’m Cree God did anoint
To me, as insight for my life,
Releasing me from years of strife.

Before I would have said, “Why yes,
I’m one of you, just like the rest”;
Like Moses in Egyptian court,
‘Egyptian Prince’ by all reports.

Until one day he heard the truth,
“You’re Hebrew – there you’ll find your roots”;
And from that day God’s power within
His life grew strong – released from sin –

At least, my guess that’s how it was,
As he took up the Hebrew cause
And slew a man – we’re all that way –
So smart we are in younger days.

For Moses, though raised up in court,
Did not ‘Egyptian’ grow of course,
Just educated, fit to lead
The Hebrew people cross the sea.

Imagine Moses eating lunch,
And Pastor saying to the bunch
There gathered, “We have culture here,
It’s best we keep our focus clear”.

He would have gagged on sandwich then,
Not free to speak, or clearly send
A message to the fellowship,
“I’m Hebrew, body, mind and lip.”

So that is me – ‘Third Culture Kid’ –
Of Creenglish type within your midst;
I’m not of you – a visitor
Within your midst – and nothing more –

Except in Christ – that’s where we meet;
God made divisions, asked we keep
The walls between us firm and strong
As Babel gift, to check a wrong.

But boundary-crossers He has made;
On our agendas He has laid
A task to do, said, “Having gone
Across some border, sing your song –

“And then assist these folks to sing
Their songs of praise, their worship bring
To me, as center of their lives –
Branch on this vine, that they might thrive.

So, no – I don’t do what you do;
I do not think as one of you;
Do not be fooled – resemblances
Can be deceptive hindrances.

I am a boundary – crossing man;
Sent here by Christ – into this land;
He bid me cross my culture’s wall,
Apostle be – and that is all.

I’m flattered that I blend so much
You think I’m one with them – as such
It makes me think, “They trained me well
In Egypt’s heat, by slavery’s hell.”

So yes, Apostle’s what I am,
Not hocus-pocus – just a man
Who’s crossed my culture’s boundary wall,
And, “having gone”, I’m with you all.

Exciting my new task in life,
Which started ten days back with wife;
“So silently the gift was given”
Like night when Christ came here from heaven.

Four decades of one job wrapped up
Last week – at times the way quite rough –
But now it’s done, freed up to do
This new assignment – here with you –

Like I gas-up at Petro-Can –
I walk with you and under-stand,
That we might all together be
At one in Christ – in harmony.

So no, I am not one of you,
Of which I don’t make great to-do,
But thought I’d use this incident
To flag the fact – say what it meant.

Thanks.

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