“Gang-Land For Life” [Reflections on Sun Tsu's Art Of War #11-1H]

In classic gangland membership
It’s hard to access, make the slip
In past door-keepers – torturous
Is word that’s used – access through fuss.

A classic mind-game – rules are rocks
That will not budge – they access block,
Allowing in just allied force,
And keeping out the cops, of course.

Then getting out’s circuitous
“Once in – for life – when joining us
You cannot quit, join other side;
So think before you take this ride.”

And why have they blocked in and out?
Because society is ’round about
And they are in surrounded zone –
Hemmed in, encircled in their home.

That’s why they picked that way of life –
Strict rules as battlements suffice
To let small numbers beat a force,
Which access has to great resource.

So if the evil one sets rules
In which he tries to play it cool,
Sun Tzu says, “Strategize and plan,
Just like he will in hemmed-in land.

“Think like he thinks, walk in his shoes,
And ask yourself what plan you’d use;
Then open up his access points,
Give egress-routes from all his joints.

So range of motion should be kept;
Don’t by the foe encircled get,
So you can’t come and go with ease,
In battle zones move as you please.

Lord, open up my eyes today
To what you’re trying here to say,
That I might not encircled be
Or trapped, hemmed in, by enemy.

“Stu, think a bit – where are the traps?”
In groups and structures where we’re asked
To give assent to structured ways –
Way in; way out; encumbered days.

“Okay – so Kingdom-layer compare” –
Oh! I’d forgotten that was there!
The living-platform where our base
Is situated in this case.

Lord what I hear is “Spy for God”
Or “Forward-Scouts” (to most quite odd);
Check out where bridges, access ways
Should best be built to skirt delays.

That is, they check the options out,
So Generals can choose a route
That can encircle, hem them in,
And victory in You begin –

To set folks free in Jubilee
From evil one, that life might be
Conducted on the Kingdom-layer;
In time become more Kingdom-players.

Lord, this is cool – new kind of gang –
One like the hymns and songs we sang
Of justice, peace, and movement free –
Not rules demonic crushing me.

Thanks Lord for this.

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