Inspired by an (unexpected) religious awakening.

Once to Every Man and Nation

My grandfather died.
After tears dried,
I felt a love,
From God above.

In Faith I grew
But soon I knew
I could not stay,
I’d leave some day.

And then I heard
From a neighbors word
God may have come today.
For the truth I did pray

A hymn said it was time to chose
There is much to lose
I did not know why or how
But I knew the time to act was now.

Christ promised a return
An event for which we yearn
But no one thinks they would miss the event
Of a new Messenger that God has sent

But he came like a thief in the night
The church leaders were just not right
A new Faith began to rise
Strange in name, small in size

But Though to most it seems absurd
God has spoken a brand new Word
The Kingdom of God is now to come
Ignored by many, embraced by some

The world seems in endless fight
But God has promised to make it right
But new saints are needed , of peace to speak
For the crisis is coming to peak

It is time to choose the way
I choose to follow Gods new Day
I leave behind my old creeds
To give the world what it needs

I must now do my thing
To let the new message ring
God will be by my side
But it will be a wild ride

[Written after a series at Marywood based on the book, “Should I stay a Christian?”]

To get more insight into the inspiration for this poem, 
meditate on the lyrics of the classic hymn by the same title,
read the title essay in the book “Once to Every Man and Nation”,
[https://www.grbooks.com/products/once-every-man-nation_gottlieb?variant=24476451733604]
or ask the author.

1 Once to every man and nation
comes the moment to decide,
in the strife of truth with falsehood,
for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some new Messiah,
off'ring each the bloom or blight,
and the choice goes by forever
'twixt that darkness and that light.
2 Then to side with truth is noble,
when we share her wretched crust,
ere her cause bring frame and profit,
and 'tis prosp'rous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside,
till the multitude make virtue
of the faith they had denied.
3 By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track;
toiling up new Calv'ries ever
with the cross that turns not back.
New occasions teach new duties;
ancient values test our youth.
They must upward still and onward,
who would keep abreast of truth.
4 Though the cause of evil prosper,
yet the truth alone is strong;
though her portion be the scaffold,
and upon the throne be wrong;
yet that scaffold sways the future,
and, behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow
keeping watch above His own.

James Russell Lowell 1844