For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:38-39 ESV)

Some mismanage it

Manhandle and then abandon it

Left for dead under the overpass

After it’s been bruised up and damaged

Highly disregarded and discarded with ease

Unknown to the world, yet still, it’s the greatest of these

Still looking for answers while we put a band-aid on our cancer

It patiently waits in the dark; on the ready with the brightest of lanterns

Ready to guide us through the blinding mire of hostility

With the smoldering flame of an uncommon humility

Men say that they’d give up the world just to possess it

Only to rent it out for a meager profit, then strip it down and redress it

Even refusing to call it by its name –

Because it only responds to the truth

And they just want to defame it…

Punched, kicked, held in contempt and battered

But in spite of swollen eyes, its gaze is fixed

As if none of it matters

Never raises its voice to try to plead its case…

It carries on ‘til the end

Even if forever is however long that it takes

Pain is not the pleasure, but services as the vessel

Takes it to the final destination

Delivering the greater message

Delivered without measure – digging up the buried treasure

Hidden under the weight of humanity’s mess

A task that no other could dare endeavor

To hell and back -

When we refused to bleed, it bled for us

Got stabbed in the robbery and still took on the death sentence

Parted the head of the warden and beat a path back up from the bottom

Set the captives free when it flooded their prison cells with that living water

Instead of coveting lust, it holds a covenant up in front of us

Reflects the beauty of its purity and shows us truly wonderful

Faith unwavering and a hope assured that never expires

Its power never ceases even after the world that we know is retired

Not to be confused with seductive bedroom eyes

Pursuit of the one night stand or catching a glimpse of her thighs

A strong back to hold onto while you’re lying in bed

Or lies that he’ll wanna tell so that you’ll open your legs

Sex out of context is only there for a moment

And involves giving up your ghost to someone who doesn’t own it

Less than and three may put a heart on your screen

But it’ll never give you a love that’s greater than these

When I’m worse it makes me better

When I wanna quit, it tells me, “never”

When I can’t stand, it keeps me movin’

When I fall apart, it holds me together

It reminds me that I’m cherished

And that I’ll never ever be severed

Forgives all of my inadequacy

And never lets me for get it

When I start to believe that redemption is completely impossible

It lifts up my heavy head through the grace of the Gospel

The same that gave sight to blind men and dead men life

Is the same that can take a whore and turn her into a wife

No matter how promiscuous, this thing is so relentless

It pursues to the end and will have your beggin’ for forgiveness

Yes, there’s only one thing that can remove our stain and our stench…

Love is stronger than death; such a hideous strength.

 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.
(1 John 4:18-19 ESV)

Soli Deo Gloria,

Shon