Great God of Us All
Curtail prejudice from the breathing mouthfuls
 Of our covetous exhale.
We know it lodged in us all after the beginning.
Yet, may we know now, a little bit, from your redemptive scurry,
The scent, service and cure of your holy speech, steeped in mercy.

Remind us over and over, more and again, seventy times seven,
That we are all people of your call,
Not “in spite of” our ethnic hue,
But because we are black and red, white and yellow,
 And all purposeful shades in between.
This is your Spirit’s paint brush, for the gleam and color of your creation,
And we are all aboard, being made, tinted, and reconciled
 In your loving, rainbow image.

Don’t stop there God!
Purpose and beckon that we live together,
Adopt Unity as our family name,
Give up our Cainish killing,
Recommending your gracious ocean of gospel and surrounding love
Offered to all and each,
Embraced and secured
By us every praising, God-lifting, lovers of Christ,
On earth as it is in heaven.

We chant hope in the noose of distress and unscheduled war,
Sickness and uninvited loss in our lives,
For it is by you, we breathe, and for you, we endure
Washing friendship, in your sustaining pools of relieving grace
 On this earthen tarmac of break and fracture
For the shine of your glory,  God Present and Personal.

Till that future time at the ascent of history’s curtain
  When the sun will rise at day start, hesitate above, and will not go down,
As you coronationally land, our face to face Christ, Light for us,
 And we hallelujah you, with Pentecosted verse,
As your grateful, revering people, wearing color tones from a donor God.

Copyright © 2007 Ward Stothers