Remember your angels and their glorias,
their promise of “on earth peace”?
God Almighty, we are wondering what is going on.
Jesus was wonderful, and yes, in my heart there lives a melody,
but honestly, things are getting out of hand.
We need an intervention.
Hatred growing, prejudice spewing, greed hoarding, and
tick tick tick goes the doomsday clock and
drip drip drip goes the great Antarctic shelf.
What are we to do with all these new babies
hopeful and fresh faced, looking at us expectantly?
When it’s time to hand it over, what have we got?
Since necessity is the mother of invention,
create in us wild dreams as we
fly flags of impudent survival.
It will be bad, for sure, that is one thing we don’t doubt.
But we know you hardwired us to make it.
Can our best selves shine out at all odds somehow?
Come along with us Jesus,
Mary with your ridiculous hope,
you are welcome too.
We are on the march, or crawl really.
On our knees on the earth
falling in love with our old home,
loving every creature, every person,
and putting all our talents to good use.
We will creep hand over hand into the 22nd century
where there again like a second coming,
a generation of life is waiting to be born.
Bless the Lord, oh our souls,
and all that will be within us
bless God’s holy name.
I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.