We Are

Becoming…..yes, are we
Like Noah…..like Job…..like Moses….
Like David and Solomon….
Like Jesus.
We are….
Now……and ongoing–
The Shadrachs Meshachs Abedegos
Defying the Golden-headed kings
Now treading on clay feet:
Their golden bulls on Wall Street-
Their ‘stars’ and American idols.
At the sound of the horn and the pipe,
the harp, the zither and the bagpipe,
the stringed instrument and song-
Blaring an MTV top-40 vibe-
Like Shad, Mesh and Abe,
There can be no bowing and scraping.
No! No ‘jiggy’ to the beat!
No running after them to co-sign
Their images posted to our wall!
No slavering over their bling-bling
Nor craving their eros-filled things.

Avert your eyes young Shad!
Keep following ‘the Way’ Meshach!
Keep the faith with Jah, lil’ Abe!
Like them—are we—becoming?

They will send the torrid insults
The fires of their hatred
The hot sting of blows and wars
And fiery persecution.
Stand firm! The fires will not burn.
Stand tall! The blistering words won’t scald.
Don’t cringe! The blasting bombs won’t singe.
Don’t fear the conflagration!

Becoming…..we are……
We are saying:
“Our God whom we are serving
Is able to rescue us…….
Out of your hand, O king,
He will rescue us.”

And for their part,
The kings of modern Babylon
Witness Jah’s divine quenching
Of intensely stoked furnaces.
And they will have to know-
We are….for the True God.
And they will have to say-
‘Are we…….
Able to find another god
Who can deliver his own like Jehovah?’