Labels...

No one plans to be labeled as one thing or another. The world loves to point and name you. I think for some it is a coping mechanism so that they can forget their own issues.

Black and white. Legal and illegal. Poor and rich. Gay and straight. God and the godless. We all have labels that we use.

What labels do you suppose that God uses on us? I listened to an amazing sermon yesterday by a young girl in church that is just a sophomore in high school. Yes, out of the mouths of babes. But this was no mouthpiece. It was a voice crying out to the church. A wilderness of some sort, reminding us that God's love for us bears no label.

It is infinite and real.

It is for all walks of life. For all of creation. Prepare the way of the Lord by sharing the label of love for all.

​You are all my brothers and sisters and I love you. Put a label on that!

Stay in God's grip!

G. Todd Williams (c) 2018
​

God’s 21st Century John
by G. Todd Williams

Dear Lord, today I thought I heard a voice
Crying in the wilderness,
A prophet’s word, demanding change:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
release the captives, raise up those who are beaten down,
straighten crooked paths and remove obstacles.
God’s glory can now be seen,
And every eye shall see it.”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

In the wilderness of the world community
Joined by electronic roads and overshadowed
by architectural monuments,
Where greed fills politicians,
And is lost in great waste,
Where a numbered society hides within a work-force,
And broken spirits converge through social programs,
For a moment of respite:
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

In the wilderness of third world nations,
Where the destitute scrape out their existence
While great powers amass grand riches,
The strong play with the weak,
Where once-proud cultures conform,
Their daughters and sons are robbed of tradition,
And placed in sweatshops that provides pennies for their handwork:
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

​In the wilderness of educational institutions,
Reading, writing and arithmetic have
Been traded for survival training,
Where young minds absorb everything
Except how to be children of God,
Fertile expansions of their minds, but their souls remain barren;
Diplomas proclaim success, not wisdom,
Honors, not love;
“Prepare the way of the Lord!"

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

In the wilderness of politics
A field of wheat and tares is bordered by momentary fame,
Where large interest groups freely support campaigns,
And candidates have the nerve to shout reform,
While even those with the best of intentions are devoured
By dark forces and are compelled to take a back seat
Until cynicism builds within, like a horrible virus:
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

In the wilderness of our faith traditions,
Where theological trends come and go,
Buildings and people are fashionable,
And pomp and circumstance are priority,
Where evangelism is silenced,
Prayer and sacrifice are optional
And even Jesus is labeled a “fundamentalist.”
“Prepare the way of the Lord.”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.

We cry out to the voice in the wilderness,
“What shall we do?”
“Run, turn to the Lord. You who have two suits,
Give to the naked; you with a feast upon your table, feed MY hungry.
In the markets and governments, work through compassion
​And be ready for the One who comes with fire!”

Dear Lord, calm my spirit,
And let Your infinite love prevail.