Protect Them

Jesus prayed, “I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:9-19

Protect Them

We all love battles between good and evil
the fantasy stories we wrapped ourselves in
the movie that captured our young imaginations
we gave ourselves to heroes and brave hobbits.

We fail to see our daily faith struggles
as fighting against the forces of great evil
yet our land is swallowed up by huge serpents
of greed, division, abuse and neglect.

Ultimate power given to small celebrities
great wealth accumulated by con artists
we put up walls to shield us from truth
and wander in a wilderness of destruction.

Evil has always walked the earth in finery
the tempter using the roles we most desire
like young ones in a opulent candy store
we fail to see the poison in each piece.