A Cup of Cold Water

Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
“For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.” Matthew 10:34-42

A Cup  of Cold Water

How often in the middle of the night
does a child stumble into their parents
asking for cold water or protection
for there is much to fear in the night?

We would never refuse our children
there is always time and space for them
but so many others we can shut out
who simply need a little sip of kindness.

The church can be a place of welcome
and it can be a place of judgment
competition can break our among us
and we can take each other down.

Let us treat one another today at least
as blessed family, dear children in need
making room for the awkward and fearful
giving honor to the aged and infirmed.

God is love and sadly we rarely are
we preen and gaze at our reflection
yet we never see the servant we can become
we never see the friend that is so needed now.