Those that control us

Sir? 

 Yes private? 

It's the people, sir. They're doing nothing, sir

 Nothing private? What's the problem with that private? 

They're doing literally nothing, sir

Managing to ignore their algorithm, sir

The one designed to seize their mind

To make them angry at things that don't matter, sir

Instead, they're reflecting and praying, sir

Meditating and staying still, sir

Remembering how to think for themselves

How to not react to every thing, sir

Their neurochemistry is resetting, sir 

Their grey matter is rewiring, sir 

They're remembering they aren't their algorithm

And we need to do something about it, sir 

 Ah, well, can't do nothing private. 

Yes, sir

Very good, sir

I'll see to it, sir 

Just after I've watched this video, sir

***

Written at Wildfires 2026

Unearned love

In all the worlds below and all the world above
There is no greater gift than unearned love

Love. That which supports our very soul
Which lifts us up and makes us whole 
Which heals the wounds that cut our core
And makes us wonder how we coped before

With this gift, you will see life anew
No longer does the whole world stand against you
Finally, after all you've tried and tried and tried
Someone loving is on your side

The only condition, through time and space
Is to accept this gift of love with grace

***

Written at Wildfires 2026

Running on Empty

I'm stretched, depleted, but not yet defeated
I'm the last little light that they haven't deleted
I'm running on fumes but not yet empty
The last gasps of a flame that still shines plenty

So imagine what I could do with a bit more fuel
Imagine how bright I'll burn when I'm a bit more full
With more oil in a lamp to light a way
I'm asking for energy so lord I pray

I'll keep on the spark with whatever I have
I'll do what I can to make you glad
But give me more, if you deem it right
And I'll try to burn right through the night

***

Written at Wildfires 2026

Redemption worthy

We all love a redemption story, and yet we can only stomach so much sin 
You have to be careful with how flawed you are to begin
Otherwise we judge, we view you as simply "bad"
Not worthy of the forgiveness the rest of us have had 

Humans are not a crafted narrative, falling in 3 acts 
We're simply trying to live, and hopefully not collapse
We take 3 steps left for each step back, moving forward once in a while
Even when the focus is on us, we rarely move in style

Find the family that believes, and the friends to follow through
We need support and structure, so you can define yourself anew
It doesn't have to be a clean or well written story
Just a realisation you are no longer who you used to be

Remembering good friday

I feel guilty, when the greatest story ever told
Feels overly familiar, stale, and cold 
Maybe because I first heard it when I was a child
So I didn't appreciate that it was truly wild

Let me not stop feeling grief
For a sad story I've heard a hundred times
Let my feelings of injustice never cease
For those falsely accused of crimes

Familiarity can lessen empathy
But only if we let it
Just because something was always meant to be
Doesn't mean we should forget it

So let your eyes well with many a tear
Let the story be alive and live right here
Understanding the weight of the greatest sacrifice
Driven by the greatest love, of the saviour Jesus Christ

Christian Hate

To my fellow Christians, with whom I find kindship and share my fate
Did Paul write to the Corinthians "And now these three remain: faith, hope and hate. But the greatest of these is hate"?
Did Jesus tell us us that one of the greatest commandments is to "hate thy neighbour?"
No, they instead preached of love for others in all of its labour

Of love.

It is hard, sometimes, to interpret a book from thousands of years ago
It is hard, sometimes, to work out what it wanted us to know
But where it comes to love, the words echo clearly in scripture through the years
It is love, always, that must be what perseveres

Hatred starts conflict, but love covers over all wrongs
It infects our worship and bleeds through our songs
Love Christians. Love non-Christians. Even if you don't love all that they do.
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

You cannot love God without loving your sister and brother
You are not full of love if you can't feel love for the "other"
Who do you think, right now, the Samaritan in the room would be?
And who is stirring your hatred against an enemy you rarely see? 

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses
Love is what makes us come to our senses
So to my fellow Christians, and anyone else still here
If you hate too easily, then how can your love be sincere?

It is hard to love so completely as Jesus did when he died for all our sins
It is easy to hate when it seems to come so naturally from within
But you shall remain in darkness if you hate your brother, even if you claim to be in light
You are not called to do the easy thing, but to try to do what is right 

So love. Unconditionally. Sincerely. And without hate.
As long as you manage that, I shall be glad to share your fate.

Luke 6:27-28 (NIV): "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you".

1 John 4:20 (NIV): "Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen

Matthew 5:44: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

 Proverbs 10:12 (ESV): "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses"
Proverbs 10:12 (GW): "Hate starts quarrels, but love covers every wrong."
Proverbs 10:12 (NIV): "Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs."

1 John 2:9 ESV (NIV): Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness

Proverbs 26:24-26 (ESV): Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly

1 Peter 4:8 (EASY) Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done.

For those who worship

For those who really worship during worship
Who really listen when they praise
Who are not grounded in this earthly ship
Who seem like they could go for days 

How? How do you manage to do this
Without glancing around at the congregation
Or accidentally constructing your shopping list 
But letting sounds fill you with bliss and revelation 

I'm jealous. It's not healthy. But it's the imposter in us all.
It's the cause of insecurity, the echoes of the fall
A feeling that I can't focus which leads to more inaction
So lord, help me, to worship without distraction

Romans 12:9

In the book of Romans, chapter 12, Verse nine
It is written simply: love must be sincere
As much as I'd like to pretend this quote is one of mine
I feel it's origin must be acknowledged here

See it's not just good advice
More of a call to action
It's not just being nice

Love is not just part of a fraction 

You must love, deeply
If you want to love at all
Feeling "compassion is be beneath me"
Will surely make you fall

In a world which wants to doubt 
It is the answer to all fear 
For those you want to care about
Your love must be sincere

Jesus in Palestine

What if Jesus were born again, but He was born in Palestine?
He was born among the bombs, He was born among the mines?
He was born in the rubble where a hospital used to stand?
What then would become of the second son of Man? 

Would He be baptised in a river filled with lead
Would He grow malnourished until he learned to break the bread
Would He grow up with His parents or have surrogates instead
Would He grow up knowing death until he learned to revive the dead 

And what if He still said:

"What you do to the least of my brother's you also do to Me"
What would He think of how we treat the land that does not stretch to sea
What of all the other babies still born there every year
Who face all these problems and grow up filled with fear

All of this to wonder, in this most pressing time
What would Jesus do if he came again to Palestine

Searching for the Spirit

It's hard to believe in a thing I can't see
A Spirit so sweet yet seeped in secrecy
Which is not to say I believe It isn't there
Just that the task's tough. And that I really do care.

I do find it easy to think of the Son
The human, the Saviour, the mortal one
He took form, then He spoke to us here
There's historical records that still persevere

The Father, He's harder, but still I get by
Not necessarily thinking of a Man in the sky
But still as a Being in some manna, some fire
Even if He dwells in the fourth dimension or higher

But the Spirit? Being honest, I just find it's tough.
Maybe it's me, maybe I'm just not spiritual enough.
I'll keep fighting for faith, wondering if I'm missing the call.
I'm just another sinner seeking salvation from the Fall.

Christian Correction

A question to my fellow followers of Christ
I was not made with perfect eyes
They started good, then to my surprise
My vision began to glass and ice

Now, I live in an age of invention
Where glasses can correct my vision
Such that I can act with a precision
Matching those gifted with ocular perfection

I was not made in my finished form
I had to grow a little, after I was born
Challenges have left my wits torn
But it's ok. We grow. We reform.

So, if all the above seemed uncontroversial
Let me ask if there is any difference at all
Between other matters, mental and physical
Where we need help as a imperfect individual?

You are not unloved if you need drugs for anxiety
Gender dysphoria does not mean you lack piety
We are flawed. That's part and parcel of humanity.
That faith is beyond that? That, to me, is Christianity.

Wydale

Lord, things are going well, and I am truly blessed
Lord, things are kind of tough, and I am truly stressed
Lord, I must be grateful for the windfalls of life
Lord, I confess that I am struggling with strife

Should I just be thankful for what I have received?
Should I be upset when I feel like I'm deceived?

Life is balance, and I feel tipped to one side
Lord, I need your help. I need you on my side.

***

A poem I wrote on a weekend away with St Mikes. It was longer, but I think this bit alone captures the essence.

Sword or shield

It's the same old situation you already know
You're on your knees, facing down a foe
You'll need some help to make it through this day
So you put your hands together and pray

But when you pray, do you pray for a sword, or for a shield?
For the strength to strike, or the fortitude to not yield?
Now, maybe it's machismo or maybe it's something more
But, for me, I feel I've strength enough inside my core

I don't want any more power at my command
But I would not turn down a greater ability to withstand
For an extra shelter from a hard day's rain
Or some balm to soothe away some pain

But more than that, I don't wish to strike another down
For current rivals in a conflict-filled town
It could be ego or folly, but something I do believe true
Is to never use force beyond which I absolutely have to

And I am filled with fear and awe for the power above
That I cannot wish for such a sword with love
Instead I'll pray for a shield in spite of it all
A second chance that stops my falter becoming my fall

Searching for God

A feeling that I've had that I'm sure many others share
Is "Oh God, why are You so hard to find?"
It doesn't take much to realise that it's in character
Our all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing creator? He's just being kind

A small wind can reignite an ember that's almost died
But a large wind will knock down anything in its way
A small light can serve as our guide
But a large light will force us to turn away

And I don't believe He wishes to harm us

So with our free will, we much search for small winds and lights
For the Lord is able to help us, as long as the cause is right
Though we may not see his support in our plights
He is the glass floor that we walk on, the force that lifts our kites

And, if we search deep within our core
If we lay ourselves bare, honest, and raw
Then we can ask for the filter to be lifted a little more
So that we can find our faith just a little more sure

Remember that this is a friendship unlike any other relation
If you speak with faith and without hesitation
You need only to ask, and you will find elevation
And you will move a little closer to your own revelation

He is our God!

Let me say some words of worship
Let me say some words of praise
Let me say some words that echo your name
To the end of days
He is our God! 

Because your love is unbounded
Your faith in us often unfounded
Yet you still full us with wonder
With words mightier than thunder
He is our God! 

History has already proclaimed
The greatness of your name
So let us stand without shame
And exclaim a great refrain
He is our God! 

He is our God
He is mighty
He is our God
And we can all see
He is our God! 

He makes us all humble
Supports us when we tumble
He is the one above us all
The one who should be our first call
He is our God!

He is our God!
Oh how great a lover
He is our God!
And there shall never be another
He is our God!

He is our God!
He is our God!
He is our God!
And always will be

***

Written during one of the many worship sessions in which the crowd has to stay silent in the church. I can also see a call and response of "And he loves us" to each "He is our God". That wasn't allowed when I performed it though, so I'm presenting it in this form (it would also require some slight line changes e.g. to the final line in the poem). 

Good Friday

The girl was upset. She was only just holding herself together.
"But you promised!" She cried. She seemed to cry forever.
Promises are only words, or, that's what I used to believe
This great game we had been playing I now just wanted to leave

.
.
.

So, I know this girl. She's the sort of person worth knowing.
She'll create the most wonderful adventures, then keep the world growing.
But don't step in too lightly, she cares deeply for her creation.
She knows how her birds fly, and the shape of her vegetation.

Such passion is contagious, I wanted to be part of her world too.
She agreed - "If you look after my world then I'll look after you"
So I promised, and I meant it. Not knowing how strong such words could be.
She allowed me to step inside her world, the one she'd create to hold such beauty.

I lasted five minutes. It wasn't my fault! I was betrayed!
And yes, sure, I went against one of the only rules she had made.
But it hurt me too. Well, probably less than it hurt her to be fair.
We carried on regardless, regret and tension in the air.

I kept doing small things, and the girl kept working on,
Adapting to my mistakes, correcting when I went wrong.
I was just happy I got to play with her at all
And she enjoyed being with me, despite it being so stressful.

One time she had to nearly start over, but we kept going still.
She made me once a ruler, and answered to my will.
...I didn't do that well, and soon I fell from power, then again once more.
But we loved this world between us, every heart and every flaw.

Then I got greedy. I started to seize control.
But I didn't have her gift, her focus and her goal.
Things became hazy, armies fell at my command.
The world I was meant to care for fell beneath my hand.

.
.
.

"You promised!". I did. I meant it at the time.
The words now seemed quite hollow and echoed with my crime.
She was going to strike me out, banish me forever.
No longer would we share in this wonderful world together.

"I should" she said "strike you from this place"
"You've defiled what we built, you've acted a disgrace"
"I could ask you to leave, you know it would be fair and true"
"So know how much it hurts me
       That I'm going to throw away my world
              And keep you"

.
.
.
This world she had created, this beautiful piece of art
She gave it up for me, this thing to which she had poured her heart
I did not deserve it, but I was thankful just the same.
So I pledged to be more faithful
     And to ensure I kept her promise
           I pledged it in her name.

Faith

Dear Fellow Struggler in Faith,

I pray you accept this advice with my invitation
You see, important matters have been brought to my attention
That some thoughts on faith are subject to indoctrination
Please find my thoughts enclosed for your consideration

First then, when you think of faith, what is your definition?
Personally I think first we need to define it by omission
Those things which do not affect your faith if they happen to waver
I wonder if these definitions will find your favour...

Let's us start with topics on which it is easy to agree
Your faith is not your profession, your status, or your degree
Nor by any other method by which you pay your debts
Your faith is far more than these earthly effects

Your faith is also more than your mortal coil
That body of yours which weakens with age and toil
It could be injured and broken and bruised and blue
These thing may hurt, but your faith will remain just as true

Dear reader, even if times are hard your faith is not your depression
Mental health struggles do not mean you are punished, or your faith has lessened
It's true that God may be harder to see in these days
But though He's hard to see He has not gone away

Your faith is not attending church seven times a week
Your faith is not how loudly you pray for the weak
It's not how many verses you've got at beck and call
Your faith is not defined by how many times you fall

Your faith is not the anger that a doorbell wont ring
Nor is it your sadness at global suffering
Your faith is not defined by trauma or defined by feinds
Maybe it's time to corner what faith actually means

For me, faith is trust, a relationship you treasure
And like any relationship, there's challenges to weather
Faith is not certainty, faith can have doubts
But then faith can act as though there's nothing to worry about

Faith is difficult, but worth it I swear
Dear reader of mine, if you are still there
These are my thoughts, which I believe to be true
But you must make sure the person that defines your faith, is you

Good Luck,
Signed, a fellow struggler

Dear Lord, Thank You, Amen

Dear Lord, Thank You, Amen
Dear Lord, Thank You, Amen
Dear Lord, Thank You for all You do and for loving through and through and Lord for being wholely true, Amen
Dear Lord, The beginning and the end, thank you my friend
                  That you mend and defend when I'm at whit's end Amen
Dear Lord, Thank You for lending Your gifts and giving your spirit
                   I'm lifting You up so I will never forget it Amen
Dear Lord, Thank You for knowing me and giving me a chance to be
                  A missionary in deed for the worthy creed of Christianity
                  That when I struggle, Lord, You're there
                  That when I falter Lord, You care
                  That when I ask where to the air in my worst nightmare
                  You repair then prepare me so I sing Your fanfare in this prayer Amen

Dear Lord, You will be. You are. And You were.
                   Bless all your word and all I've heard and all I've observed
                   Because through it all I've inferred
                   That you are wonderful. Amen.

Dear Lord, What I'm trying to say is simply thank You, and then a thousand times Amen.

Thank You.

You didn't have to make the world this way, but You did.
You didn't have to love us in this way, but You do.
You care for us. Through all our mistakes and all our flaws and all our sins. You care for us. And You forgive us.

So Lord. Dear Lord. Let this short prayer I pray now capture everything it needs to. And let me mean each word without hesitation or doubt.

Dear Lord. Thank You. Amen.

The arc of the moral universe

"Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a place and Christ a cross, but that same Christ will rise up and split history into Ad and BC, so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name. Yes, 'the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice'"

http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/out-long-night-segregation#

It is a famous quote. You may have heard it before.
It may have confused you and given you pause,
So here I present it in a more full clause,
To help you appreciate just what this quote may be for.

In my eyes it is in nature spiritual
          The physical world may not follow the same
It does not say the ruthless will be forgotten
          We remember both Christ's and Caesar's names
It does not say that we don't need to try
         That fate will cast evil, eventually, with shame
It talks of God's plan, how we struggle to see it
         But his will be the glory, and his will be the fame

It may not serve as much comfort to persecuted nations
Nor give the persecutors all that much hesitation
Since, I believe, this quote is spiritual in its intentions
So it may just give worshipers one notion of celebration

That faith is worthwhile, in the eyes of the believer
And that which is belongs to him, shall be rendered onto Caesar

Inspiration from a fascinating article about how some people might misunderstand the quote - https://www.thedailybeast.com/obama-loves-martin-luther-kings-great-quotebut-he-uses-it-incorrectly

Jesus remains.

The World turns. And we turn too
Subject to whatever forces the world puts us through
Seasons rotate. We are passengers on this ride
Gripping on with gravity as we fly side-by-side

Time passes. And so we all must age.
Sometimes we forget, and it fills us with rage
About how mannerisms are different, not like they were before
As we come to terms with a World we don't recognise anymore

Friends change. They learn, adapt, and meet others
Some will fall away, others stay close as lovers.
You've changed too, so do not become numb
You must accept the new people you and your friends have become.

Jesus remains. In a changing world, Jesus remains.
Recognise this, and you'll be thankful of his name
You will always be changing. This fact is known.
But whoever you are,
       whoever you become
Jesus will be there to welcome you home.