In His Ministry - Poem by Raymond A. Foss

In his ministry, echoes,
reflections, mirroring the savior’s words
the path that the Christ walked,
living out the words proclaimed on the mountainside
the words of love, even for our enemies
even those actively tormenting, persecuting us
those who would harm us, for being who we are
These words, guiding his steps, his ministry,
his non-violent response, to the violence,
to the oppression, that right would triumph
that the just God would watch over
all of God’s people, that we as a nation
would overcome the legacy of hate
that Christ’s love, preached on the mountainside
would transform the world
enemies no more, living together
together walking across that divide
into a promised land of peace
Struggling when there was darkness
continuing in the work of our brother
bringing hope into the dark world
never giving up, always trusting in God
ever honoring the master’s call
changing hate to love
even love for our enemies
water chiseling rock

January 18, 2009
the message, “It’s not just a dream but a reality”
on the sign in front of church,
the story of Moses and Joshua,
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Joshua 1:1-9
and on the juxtaposition of the
80th birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
and the inauguration of Barack Obama
as President of the United States of America
along with
Micah 4:1-4
Matthew 5:43-48
the sermon, “Love Your Who???”,
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson,
Suncook United Methodist Church, Suncook, NH,
and the hypothetical put to Eric Holder, nominee for Attorney General,
by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) on the use of waterboarding,
January 15, 2009, during his Senate Confirmation Hearings,
see http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/15/cornyn-holder-waterboard/