(Matthew 10:29) SPARROW

Matthew 10:29

Are not two little sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s consent and notice

SPARROW

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG MAN

I WROTE A POEM

ABOUT A SPARROW DYING

IN THE GUTTER OF A BUSY STREET

I SUBMITTED IT

I RECEIVED A REJECTION SLIP

A COUPLE MORE

AND I CAN PAPER MY BEDROOM

ANYWAY

THE REJECTION SAID

SHOULD WE WORRY

ABOUT THE DEATH

OF ONE SPARROW

THIS WAS AFTER THE WAR

WHEN DEATH WAS CHEAP

IT ALWAYS BOTHERED ME

NOT THE REJECTION

BUT THE REASON

THE GOSPEL SAYS

A BIRD BOUGHT FOR A PENNY

IS NO LESS VALUABLE

THAN AN EAGLE

BOTH ARE EQUAL IN GOD’S SIGHT

AND NEITHER CAN DIE

WITHOUT HIS CONSENT

IF WE CARE FOR THE LITTLE THINGS

IN THIS WORLD

WILL WE NOT DO BETTER

IN THE BIGGER THINGS

SHOULD WE NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR LIFE

NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT IN OUR EYES

IF GOD CARES FOR IT

WHY NOT US

AN OCTOBER THOUGHT

 MAYBE

BUT ONE WORTH

OUR CONSIDERATION

FRANK A VOLLMER

(Ecclesiastes 7:10) AND ON SUNDAY

THERE ARE THOSE AMONG US

WHO WISH FOR SIMPLER

EARLY TIMES

WHEN WHITE WAS WHITE

BLACK WAS BLACKS

AND THE BLACKS KNEW THEIR PLACE

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

WHILE CHURCHES WERE BOMBED

PEOPLE WERE LYNCHED

FIRE HOSES AND DOGS

WERE TURNED ON PROTESTORS

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

WHERE CHILDREN WORKED IN FACTORIES

WHERE WAGES WERE

WORK ALL YOUR LIFE

AND DIE POOR

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

WHERE RICH MEN’S SONS

WENT TO COLLEGE

POOR MEN’S SONS

WENT TO WAR

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

WHERE RELIGIONS

CONTRIBUTED TO DIVISION

WHERE JUSTIFICATION FOR EVIL

WAS SOUGHT BY BIBLICAL SCHOLARS

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

WHERE WATER FOUNTAINS WERE SEPARATE

BATHROOMS

SCHOOLS

WAITING ROOMS

HOSPITALS

WHERE LIBRARIES WERE DENIED

AND CHURCH DOORS CLOSED

ON SUNDAY WE SANG THE LORDS PRAYER

FRANK A VOLLMER

RED MIST

THERE IS AN INCIDENT
CALLED THE RED MIST
IT’S WHEN
A PERSON
IS VAPORIZED
BY AN EXPLOSION

WE LIVE IN AN AGE
WHERE MEN WHO DO NOT FIGHT
ARE EAGER
TO SEND OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS
IN HARM’S WAY

WHERE IF THE WORSE HAPPENS
THERE WON’T BE ANYTHING
TO PUT IN A BODY BAG

SHOULD THEY THINK THEMSELVES
LUCKY
IF THEY ARE ONLY WOUNDED
IN BODY OR MIND

WHY SHOULD OUR YOUTH
FIGHT
FOR AN UNKNOWN
OR SHALLOW CAUSE

WHY DO THOSE
WHO SAY THEY LOVE GOD
WANT
WITHOUT HESITATION
TO KILL HIS CREATION

LET US REPLACE
THE RED MIST
WITH THE ROSY COLOR OF YOUTH


FRANK A VOLLMER

(MARK 8:27-30) MESSIAH

TWO THINGS THAT JESUS SAID

OF THE MANY

TWO THINGS

WERE FOREMOST IN HIS BRAIN

WHO DO YOU THINK I AM

AND PETER

WHO HAD BEEN STRUGGLING

WITH THAT THOUGHT

FELT HIS THOUGHT CRYSTALLIZED

WITH THE QUESTION

BLURTED OUT IN TYPICAL PETER FASHION

YOU ARE GOD’S ANOINTED ONE

THE MESSIAH

THEN DREW BACK IN DISMAY

HE

JESUS

THE SECOND MOSES

TO LEAD THEM AGAIN

FROM CAPTIVITY

HE

JESUS

A SECOND DAVID

TO RULE AS KING

OVER A RESTORED ISRAEL

HE

JESUS

A GENTLE LAMB

NOT A RAGING BULL

OR SPIRITED HORSE

A GENTLE LAMB

THAT HE WANTED TO PROTECT

A GOOD MAN

BUT A MESSIAH

HIS OWN STATEMENT LEFT HIM PUZZLED

THE SECOND THING JESUS SAID

WAS AT THEIR LAST PASSOVER

WHEN HE SAID TO THE TWELVE

ONE OF YOU WILL BETRAY ME

THE TWO STATEMENTS

EVENTUALLY

LED TO A SCENARIO

OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

WE DECLARE CHRIST TO BE OUR SAVIOR

THEN SELL HIM FOR OUR OWN WILL

WE DO IT AGAIN

AND AGAIN

AND AGAIN

AND CHRIST

KNOWING FULL WELL THE END

DID NOT HESITATE TO MAKE THE JOURNEY

FRANK A VOLLMER

candy store

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COLD WAR
THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
ORDERED A STUDY
HOW THE HUMAN POPULATION
WOULD REACT TO A NUCLEAR WAR

THE HUMAN POPULATION THAT IS
THAT SURVIVED

THEY TOOK AS ONE OF THEIR SOURCE MATERIALS
THE IMPACT IN THE 13 HUNDREDS
OF THE BUBONIC PLAGUE
THE BLACK DEATH

THEY FOUND THAT IT WEAKENED THE CHURCH
GAVE RISE TO FANATICISM
LIBERATED THE PEASANT
ADVANCED MEDICAL SCIENCE

KILLED APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE POPULATION
MORE OR LESS
DEPENDING ON THE REGION

WHILE MANY ABOVE THE SALT
BEHAVED BADLY
OFTEN ABANDONING THEIR POST
THOSE BELOW
PERFORMED BETTER

NOT EVERYONE
NOT EVERY TIME
BUT ENOUGH TO CALL IT A MANNER

BUT ONE TRAIT
WHICH OCCURRED
WHICH IS MEANINGFUL FOR OUR DAY
THE HAVES WOULD NOT SHARE

WE
IN THIS COUNTRY
ARE LIVING THROUGH A DISASTER

AND THE POOR
HAVE THAT EMPTY FEELING
A CHILD HAS
WHEN LOOKING AT A CANDY STORE
AND CAN’T AFFORD TO BUY


FRANK A VOLLMER

JAMES 1:27

WHY

IN THIS MOST CHRISTIAN COUNTRY

WHY WE CARE SO LITTLE ABOUT OUR MISFORTUNATES

WHEN THE HEBREW BIBLE

IS REDUNDANT

ABOUT HOW THEY ARE TREATED

AND IN THE NEW

JESUS MAKES CLEAR

HOW HE JUDGES US

BY HOW WE TREAT OTHERS

I SEE ONLY TWO CHOICES

CHANGE THE WAY WE ACT

OR QUIT CALLING OURSELVES

CHRISTIAN

UNTIL WE PUT OUR ACTIONS

WITH OUR WORDS

WE DON’T DESERVE THE NAME

FRANK A VOLLMER