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From NE Ohio, lived in Appalachia for 20 years, now in Eastern NC for 20 years.

Friday, July 31, 2020

Systemic Racism: We Lost our Wonderful Child

The electrified sounds of screams, shouting, tambourines, piano, organ after dark
and we shouted the glory down and felt better after church;

The sights and smell of sweat as we ran the church isles, jumping, cheering, waving our hands
and we shouted the glory down and we felt better after church;

The intermitted rest as we lay on the floor with our modest towel over our legs
and we shouted the glory down and we felt better after church;

At home, when our parents felt powerless by world conflicts and threats
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

At school, we kept our eyes circumspect lest we may be touched by sin
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

At the grocery store, we counted the cost so to fill the cart
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

At the downtown dress store and the clerk suggesting a more suitable thrift shop down at the harbor
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

At a morning church with the tense insults, shepherd's criticism, borning storytime, gossip raging
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

At home, when news of young rebels unhappy with God and country
and waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We lost our Wonderful Child 1
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to touch His fingers and toes
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to listen to His Words
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to know His longing for our attention
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to know His pleading for our souls
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to know His Wonderful Spirit
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to know His Wonderful Love for us
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to watch Him grow in us
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to know His perfect Purity of heart
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We were not able to celebrate His birthdays
but always waited until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We lost that Wonderful Child in the manger kit; it's somewhere in the closet or may be sold in the yard sale
but we can always wait until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We lost that Wonderful Child and the flowers are gone 2 
but we can always wait until the next time we can shout the glory down and feel better; 

We lost that Wonderful Child and found fun glitter and gold 3
and we shouted the glory down and felt better after church;

Wonderful Child grew up somewhere else and sent us a letter and we smiled and put it on top of the fridge
and we shouted the glory down and felt better after church.

"Isaiah 53.3. If sin rules in me, God's life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. The final culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine-that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life." 4


1 https://hymnary.org/hymn/LUYH2013/99
2 http://www.folkarchive.de/where.html
3 https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/barns-courtney/glitter-and-gold
4 My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers