Inside and Out

For Wednesday, October 31st

While he was speaking,

 a Pharisee invited him

 to dine with him; so 

he went in and took

 his place at the table.

 The Pharisee was 

amazed to see that 

he did not first wash

 before dinner. Then

 the Lord said to him,

 ‘Now you Pharisees 

clean the outside of

 the cup and of the dish,

 but inside you are full

 of greed and wickedness.

 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will 

be clean for you. ‘But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue

 and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is

 these you ought to have practised, without neglecting the others. Woe to

 you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honour in the synagogues

 and to be greeted with respect in the market-places. Woe to you! For

 you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.’

 One of the lawyers answered him, ‘Teacher, when you say these things,

 you insult us too.’ And he said, ‘Woe also to you lawyers! For you load 

people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not lift a 

finger to ease them. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets 

whom your ancestors killed. So you are witnesses and approve of the

 deeds of your ancestors; for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and 

apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute”, so that this 

generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since

 the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of

 Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell 

you, it will be charged against this generation. Woe to you lawyers!

 For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter 

yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.’  Luke 11:37-52

Inside and Out

Now we see how words inflame

our selfish greed inspired them

faithful worshippers mowed down

hate has come to dwell within.

The lights are fading here and now

we have been sent  humble prophets 

we think our wealth has sheltered us

the blood of the innocent says otherwise.

We had made monsters from arrogance

fashioned terrorists in our secure places

we have unleashed this demon on the world

and it will be our complete undoing.

Get up and raise your voices now

cleanse your heart and be humble

the one next to you is always family

the whole city groans to be loved.