By God’s Standards

Teaching a lesson, the same lesson
throughout the bible, his holy word
that the strong are not better, the rich, the powerful
the same in the creator’s eyes
by God’s standards, we are all equal
all are his children, all need his grace
all are our brothers, our neighbors,
fellow sinners, journeying this earth

Telling his wisdom, his law, his love
with unlikely people, the world upside down
bringing us to his standards, not the world’s
improbably messengers, heroes, characters on the stage
role reversals, changes of fortune, teaching
bringing us to his will, to his righteousness
to him, to a relationship with him
if we would but live not by the world’s standards
by not who the winners and losers are
but by God’s loving standards

December 21, 2008
Cain and Abel, Genesis 4:9-16
The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25–37
Matthew 25:31-46
&
Micah 4:1-7
Luke 1:46-55
and sermon, “An Upside Down Christmas”,
by Reverend Huntley Halvorson
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH