Between A Rock And A Card Place

Crazy folk we live in a house of cards
With a comet bright or a rock so hard
Whirling straight at us on collision course.
Banking on some blast of celestial force.

Some look up and see Armageddon nigh
Others look around, shake their heads and sigh.
Foxes mess their dens – find another place
For they cannot laugh like the human race.

Luther’s quick response to ‘a rapid end’ –
“Why I’d plant some trees get some apples, then
That would say to all that we just don’t know
Cause an apple tree takes so long to grow.”

Haunting vision that, in my card-made house
Cancer looms so large to this little mouse
Whether near or far catastrophic end
Whirls at us unless foolish ways we mend.

Some just shrug and say, “We’ll be gone before
Such a wave of hell smashes our front door”
Citing world’s soon end, Jesus’ quick return
“We’ll be swept to heaven, let rest all burn –

“They’ve a choice to make (consequences then) –
They can choose like us so He’ll condescend
To their rescue come for the way they think –
Social action can’t keep them from that brink.”

But the Spirit lifts from this mess we’ve made
Helps us laugh at self as we take our spade
“If He comes now, Great! Lucky break for us;
Just in case he’s late, let’s clean up this muss”.

For we all assume it’s the other guy
Who’ll be struck down ill, ‘certainly not I,’
Till we hear those words, “cancer has arrived
On your doorstep but quite a few survive.”

Then our lives stop cold with the truth we face
That the road we took as a human race
Leads to death for all, be it quick or slow,
When we went our way, pride of place to show.

Heaven’s thought lasts long for its quality
Not a set of truths qualifying me –
‘When I think like Him He’ll be good to me’ –
But with truth released back to life set free.

Freed to laugh and sing as we fix this mess,
Care for others trapped in our world with less,
Freed to face our pain, and the row we hoe,
Clearing garden soil for the seed we sow.

Jesus said the end of our time’s not known;
Not to be waylaid by the mess that’s grown;
But to follow him in courageous fights
Powered by God's grace – bringing things to rights.

So we’ve spent our way, built our house with cards,
Banking on "quick end"; "Jesus’ heart so large".
Spirit come on in, laughter fix, and voice –
Grace the lives we live, face with us our choice.

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