and listen closely to your diss

i walk away somewhat bemused

another day i’d be amused

but what I’ve heard

those words you spat

the ‘this’ i own is not your ‘that’.

you make a case against ‘my god’

the words you use are rather odd

cos hard as i might try to see

your ‘him’ sounds nothing like my ‘Thee’

the ‘him’ you talk of sounds so mad

so distant, proud, aloof and bad

i really strain to hear your claim

they only sound alike in name

and as I hear these words you use

i know that’s not a ‘god’ i’d choose

how can this be? I have to know 

what caused your picture to be so?

some time has passed

i have returned

astonished at some things I’ve learned

i’ve found you’re not the only one

whose view of god is less than fun

i’ve met with those who loved His way

but church helped them to end their stay

by having a much stronger sense

not what they’re for, what they’re against

and while they claim to look above

it’s obvious they don’t ‘err’ on Love

still others found it too much bother

that churches fight amongst each other

the crusades, wars, apartheid, shame

so much justified by ‘his name’

as actions worked to bring a curse

someone, somewhere quoted a verse

as religion was proven to be dud

my Saviour’s name rolled in the mud.

i dry my tears

with fresh resolve

i long to see this thing resolved

to have some chance 

to right this wrong

to play for you a different song

to draw you to a sacrifice

show you my God who gave His life

who led by dropping on His knees

who hung out with ‘the least of these’

who asked, ‘who does condemn? Me? No!’

who taught us to embrace our foe

who said, ‘to follow, you must die’

and gave His life to show us why.

i hear you rant against my this

i think i understand your diss

I know it’s going to take a while

but as i leave i softly smile

i know now that it’s up to me

for i’m the One you’re going to see

the life i live must show you that

the ‘This’ i love is not your ‘that’.