Reformation

I’VE BEEN READING ABOUT THE REFORMATION



THE MORNING STARS THAT PRECEDED IT



LIKE HUS AND WYCLIFFE



ABOUT NOBLES WHO KEPT A HOUSE PRIEST

WHO AFTER DALLYING WITH THEIR MISTRESS

WOULD CONFESS

AND BE RIGHT AGAIN



ABOUT HOW MANY MOVEMENTS

BOTH WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

CALLED FOR ITS RETURN

TO EARLY POVERTY



SO THAT CHURCH LIFE

MIGHT MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLE

PEOPLE’S LIFE



AND BE TAUGHT THEM IN A LANGUAGE

THEY COULD UNDERSTAND



BUT AFTER THE BREAK

ARE WE ANY BETTER



DO WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

AS OURSELVES

IF HE IS DIFFERENT



IN FAITH

RACE

NATIONALITY



DO WE PREACH LOVE

AND PRACTICE HATRED



IF CHRIST CAME

WOULD WE KILL HIM FOR BEING A JEW



AS WE KILLED SIX MILLION CHRISTS



AND THE CHURCH WAS SILENT



MILLIONS OF AFRICANS

ARE DYING NOW

SO FEW CARE



WE’D RATHER INVADE A COUNTRY FOR OIL



BUT WHEN CHURCH AND STATE ARE JOINED

WE HAVE LUTHER BETRAYING THE PEASANTS



OR COUNSELING THE PRINCE

TO PRACTICE ADULTERY

QUIETLY



AND FINALLY

AGREEING TO DIVORCE



WHEN WE LOOK AT THE BROKEN LANDSCAPE

OF THE CHURCH



EACH ONE LOOKING AT THE SHATTERED SHARD

OF THE MIRROR



SAYING

THEIRS IS THE TRUE REFLECTION



HOW MANY FACES HAS THE TRUTH



BUT ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING

WE’VE HAD DISSENSION



WE’VE HAD

PAUL VERSUS PETER

JEW VERSUS GENTILE

PURE VERSUS IMPURE FOOD



WOULD NOT A BETTER LITMUS TEST BE

NOT WHAT WE BELIEVE

BUT WHAT WE DO



DOES KNOWING THE HYPOSTATIC UNION

MAKE ONE HOLY

IS IT NOT BETTER

TO LIVE THE WORD





AND WHAT IS THAT WORD

WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS



LOVE GOD

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

THE REST IS COMMENTARY

FRANK A VOLLMER

For more poetry see our blog at http://camploony.blogspot.com/.