God So Loved The World

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” John 3:16-21

God So Loved the World

From the beginning of time
when the yeast was still rising
creation stumbling in the dark
when morning and evening confused
their roles mixing colors together
God so loved the world.

When in the dust of human effort
only danger and evil reigned
when we humans gave up depressed
unwilling to fight the stark sadness
when night owned the dirty streets
God so loved the world.

When in Flanders fields we fought
when bombing the innocents
and rounding up children under two
when reason was swallowed up by greed
when the poor became the enemy
God so loved the world.

When we made martyrs of those
who walked the Selma streets
those who rang the freedom bell
when hope seemed conquered once again
God so loved the world.