I shared it last night on FB, and had even planned to read it (with attribution to Andy) at the Compassion Cafe event today at Cloud Forest. I didn't get that opportunity, but mentioned the poem to many who were there. It's the poem for this moment.
Well done, Andy, and so appropriate for our times. I hope you’re right in your optimism and we will indeed learn more effectively to belong to ourselves. Bad Bunny would agree, I think.
Yes, the poem is a nice sentiment. But I think what it really refers to is a time of heaven on earth, and that only comes when the King of Heaven, Jesus Christ returns in power and glory along with a new heaven and earth after the current heaven and earth are burnt up. See II Peter, chapter 3. In the meanwhile, we who are here are to live, as much as lies within us, in peace with all. Romans 12:18.
We should all be grateful that we are living the era of grace. In my annual trek through the Bible, five chapters a day, I'm currently in Numbers. That era required animal sacrifices, and some violations of commandments resulted in immediate punishment. In fact, only two men from the generation of Israel that left Egypt got to enter the promised land, Caleb and Joshua. Even Moses couldn't because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it at Meribah. Something made clear in those chapters is that the laws of God applied to all the people, including the sojourners and foreigners. Those who broke those laws, whether Israelites or foreigners were often stoned.
We no longer sacrifice animals as part of worship, because Jesus, the lamb of God and the Son of God, willingly died on the cross for our sins. Those who accept Him as Lord and Savior are to present ourselves as living sacrifices, to live out our lives in Him. But we don't have to do it alone; God gives us his Spirit to live in us and guide us into all truth. Also because of grace, we don't receive immediate punishment for sins as in the OT days. Instead we are to repent of sins and ask God to forgive us through Jesus Christ.
Despite all that God has done for us, we are still living in a world marred by sin. Yes, all of our ancestors were immigrants, including the so-called Native Americans: recent research has revealed that their ancestors came from Asia across a land bridge during the last Ice Age. Other research tells us that the various tribes warred with, and made slaves of each other, which has been the way of sinful man since the time that Cain killed Abel.
Most nations have established laws that limit the amount of immigration to maintain control of their country. Now some men, either for greed or politics, encourage illegal immigration and seek to blur the lines between legal and illegal. We do need to be discerning in how we deal with the "stranger" and the "sojourner," especially in making sure the law is applied the same way to all.
Sentiment is good, but the coming reality will be so much better. We should all live and pray for the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Beautiful and powerful words. Thank you, Andy, for writing them; thank you, Bob, for sharing the poem. The lesson in the final stanza is especially poignant, at both a personal and institutional (nation) level.
Thanks, Bob. And we all appreciate this is being passed on by someone who said he didn't like poems even if they rhymed. Yep, vers libre, like what don marquis' archy produced.
So (in a totally different way) are the works of don marquis. Who could forget the the time archy the cockroach interviewed the mummy of a pharaoh? Before they get to the serious stuff (the mummy has survived all those dry centuries only to arrive in a beerless country, the USA of Prohibition), archy flippantly tells the pharaoh "kingly has been...your ambition/ when you had any." The pharaoh's crushing response:
"insignificant/ and journalistic insect...in my tender prime/ i was too dignified/ to have anything as vulgar/ as ambition/ the ra ra boys / in the seti set/ were too haughty/ to be ambitious/ we used to spend our time/ feeding the ibises/ and ordering/ pyramids sent home to try on."
The lack of capitals was not due to some whimsy, as in the case of e e cummings. It's just that archy typed by plunging head-down onto the keys of an old-fashioned typewriter, and he couldn't manage the shift key.
But another poem that's too good to scorn, and very much in the spirit of Monheit's, is the perfectly traditional sonnet by Emma Lazarus, The "New Colossus."
It felt so good to read this. Beautiful.
Nicely said…period.
(Except tor Native American tribal members…everyone else’s people immigrated here.)
After extensive research, Bill, I have determined that all 102 passengers who disembarked at Plymouth Rock were undocumented.
...and this alone should we never forget.
Thank you Bob for posting this and thank you Andy for writing and sharing this poem. So well said .I hope that it becomes viral.
Anyone who would like to share this, please do.
I shared it last night on FB, and had even planned to read it (with attribution to Andy) at the Compassion Cafe event today at Cloud Forest. I didn't get that opportunity, but mentioned the poem to many who were there. It's the poem for this moment.
Thanks, Kari
I hope many, many people have a chance to read it.
Well done, Andy, and so appropriate for our times. I hope you’re right in your optimism and we will indeed learn more effectively to belong to ourselves. Bad Bunny would agree, I think.
Yes, the poem is a nice sentiment. But I think what it really refers to is a time of heaven on earth, and that only comes when the King of Heaven, Jesus Christ returns in power and glory along with a new heaven and earth after the current heaven and earth are burnt up. See II Peter, chapter 3. In the meanwhile, we who are here are to live, as much as lies within us, in peace with all. Romans 12:18.
We should all be grateful that we are living the era of grace. In my annual trek through the Bible, five chapters a day, I'm currently in Numbers. That era required animal sacrifices, and some violations of commandments resulted in immediate punishment. In fact, only two men from the generation of Israel that left Egypt got to enter the promised land, Caleb and Joshua. Even Moses couldn't because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it at Meribah. Something made clear in those chapters is that the laws of God applied to all the people, including the sojourners and foreigners. Those who broke those laws, whether Israelites or foreigners were often stoned.
We no longer sacrifice animals as part of worship, because Jesus, the lamb of God and the Son of God, willingly died on the cross for our sins. Those who accept Him as Lord and Savior are to present ourselves as living sacrifices, to live out our lives in Him. But we don't have to do it alone; God gives us his Spirit to live in us and guide us into all truth. Also because of grace, we don't receive immediate punishment for sins as in the OT days. Instead we are to repent of sins and ask God to forgive us through Jesus Christ.
Despite all that God has done for us, we are still living in a world marred by sin. Yes, all of our ancestors were immigrants, including the so-called Native Americans: recent research has revealed that their ancestors came from Asia across a land bridge during the last Ice Age. Other research tells us that the various tribes warred with, and made slaves of each other, which has been the way of sinful man since the time that Cain killed Abel.
Most nations have established laws that limit the amount of immigration to maintain control of their country. Now some men, either for greed or politics, encourage illegal immigration and seek to blur the lines between legal and illegal. We do need to be discerning in how we deal with the "stranger" and the "sojourner," especially in making sure the law is applied the same way to all.
Sentiment is good, but the coming reality will be so much better. We should all live and pray for the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So thoughtful and heartwarming.
Humanity and compassion are key
“while deciding “!
Thank you for your thoughtfulness.
A beautiful message and actually offering up hope when feeling hopeless ❤️
I feel the same way, Donna
Beautiful and powerful words. Thank you, Andy, for writing them; thank you, Bob, for sharing the poem. The lesson in the final stanza is especially poignant, at both a personal and institutional (nation) level.
Absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.
Andy wrote this beautiful letter and put a million-dollar stamp on the envelope
I am simply the mailman who delivered the letter to our community
Very nice. I hope these people get trained to help rather than hinder.
Thanks, Bob. And we all appreciate this is being passed on by someone who said he didn't like poems even if they rhymed. Yep, vers libre, like what don marquis' archy produced.
Julian - You're making me smile.
I had to give up my poetry aversion for this one. It's just too good.
So (in a totally different way) are the works of don marquis. Who could forget the the time archy the cockroach interviewed the mummy of a pharaoh? Before they get to the serious stuff (the mummy has survived all those dry centuries only to arrive in a beerless country, the USA of Prohibition), archy flippantly tells the pharaoh "kingly has been...your ambition/ when you had any." The pharaoh's crushing response:
"insignificant/ and journalistic insect...in my tender prime/ i was too dignified/ to have anything as vulgar/ as ambition/ the ra ra boys / in the seti set/ were too haughty/ to be ambitious/ we used to spend our time/ feeding the ibises/ and ordering/ pyramids sent home to try on."
The lack of capitals was not due to some whimsy, as in the case of e e cummings. It's just that archy typed by plunging head-down onto the keys of an old-fashioned typewriter, and he couldn't manage the shift key.
But another poem that's too good to scorn, and very much in the spirit of Monheit's, is the perfectly traditional sonnet by Emma Lazarus, The "New Colossus."
What a wise and wonderful poem
Amen
Thank you Bob for posting this ,and thank you Andy for your beautiful poem. It moved me to tears and as Donna said offers hope.
It appears that Andy writes straight from the heart
Thank you, thank you.
Beautiful words, Sara
Thank you
This is great, thanks you both for sharing.
Andy Monheit is a Davis treasure
Thankyou! And thank you Andy.