I don’t remember how
and I don’t
remember when
But the
beautiful and intense
presence
of the Holy Spirit
like a rushing
wind swept through
our congregation
Beyond
that wind
was something
much more
special
We were
blessed
with the
sweet sweet
revelation
of a gentle whisper
The voice
spoke deeply
and profoundly
Saying
‘What are you doing
for the least of these?’
Broken hearted
with the broken
we emptied our hearts
on the streets
Very soon
our friends
and later
our congregation
became
drunks, alcoholics
homeless
prostitutes, boy prostitutes
transvestites
and heroin addicts
We felt like David’s
motley crew
living in caves
working in
the hours of darkness
sowing with tears
the light of Christ
—
Our pastor’s wife
had a dream
a dreadful dream
she saw Richard
our leader
leaving a brothel
Sunday morning church
she confronted him
and he ran
we never saw
him again
You see
Richard
traded in
the fruits of the Spirit
for the
fruit of his loins
He fell
in the
darkness
into the
darkness
leaving a wake
of faith-shattering
destruction
We all
suffered
cried and screamed
But
no one
suffered more
than his
soon to be
divorced
and
AIDS-tested
beautiful
wife
The gentle whisper
has never left us
but now
it is a
sounding gong
warning us
of the
temptation
and the price
of selling-out.
———————–
Thank you so much for reading ‘out for lunch’. If you would like to contribute, please do. Thanks Kel.