A quick foreword:
Last week was quite a week. Old, untreated wounds have caused a massive fever in the US. It’s gotten so hot that even those who are not sick are taking notice around the globe.
There have been outpourings of pain and hurt in protest. There have been agents of chaos, and vultures exploiting tragedy. There have been the same old conversations and back and forths about race. There have been very new conversations about it from unexpected quarters.
There have been those calling us to turn our eyes to the Christ, and to repent with a prophetic fire. They have called our leaders and our laity to open Bibles and read the words of Jesus in the Gospels, to remember the heart of God for the least of these, and to remember the Good News.
We have seen some glimpses of a new society united in love, where those who have been seen as wolves are kneeling with those reeling from the devastation and pain and terror brought by lupine howls and fangs.
I have seen a white poet and spoken word artist who had remained quiet and willfully ignorant for far too long finally break ranks. And my heart swelled.
National Guard in Atlanta broke ranks and danced. Some may argue against the use of the Macarena, but maybe the Cha-cha slide is more admissable? Blessed are some of these peace makers and dance stagers!
There has been smoke, and fire, and ash, and faith and hope and love.
It is in no way perfect. There are miles to go before we sleep.
There have been convictions and charges and arrests.
June 6 marked the 76th anniversary of D-Day. The war did not end at the beach landings, but this was a day of monumental importance. There were plenty of fights left before victory. But the course of the war, and world history turned.
Breonna Taylor’s birthday was last Friday. She would have turned 27. The Breonna’s Law ordinance was approved by the Louisville Public Safety Committee 7-0. It will go before the Metro Council this week.
Confederate monuments are coming down.
Systems have been shaken. Systems are shaking.
Principalities and princes, perhaps once secure in their thrones are maybe sweating. Maybe. Just a little.
The precipice is perilous.
The pressure is still on.
In the coming weeks, some passions for this struggle may dim. That is just reality.
Reopening economies and lifting of social distancing regulations, and so many others things may cause certain hearts to lose heart.
Some that work to intercede now, may disconnect, and find new interests.
Another outbreak of apathy may be on the horizon.
Cases of coronavirus infection may increase. Some of those who demonstrated, knowing what it might cost them during this pandemic, may fall to Covid-19.
The precipice is perilous.
Resistance to protest and resisters is real. We have seen egregious violence used against citizens of all ages and ethnicities including one white, 75 year old Martin Gugino.
Ominous, unidentified and unidentifiable and armed peace keepers have materialized.
Some may abandon the fight, or be removed from it by sickness or by force.
My longing, as one loved by Christ, is that every one fighting for black lives (and those not yet anti-racists that we continue to hold in our prayers) would come to know that greatest of loves.
One Intercessor forever remains. He has shown what love and intercession is through heat, pressure, and time.
And Jesus, Your heart is a diamond
because it was crushed.
because of the pressure
because of the weight
redeeming creation was costly
buying back birthrights
called for cuts, catastrophes, crossing over
and a cross.
Cutting curses called for a Christ
a Messiah, an Annointed One
And You answered the call
And You were Annointed with oil and sweat,
and blood and tears
Tears for us here
and for the world
Jesus, Your heart is a diamond
because it was crushed
Because You surrendered to the will of the Father and the call of Love
for us
Your heart is a diamond because the weight of Your love is immense
undeniable
The weight of the universe might begin to scratch the surface of an iota of the tip of the iceberg
Which is the tip of the iceberg which is the tip of the tip of a fraction of the weight of Your love
undeniable.
What’s a star to your love?
A Galaxy, a universe to your love?
Your heart is a diamond because oh How You Love
and oh how Your heart shines for us
because You took on the weight of sin, and of
guilt and shame and condemnation,
took it on Yourself,
and it weighed on You Jesus,
-pressure-
but did not, could not crush
because Your heart is a diamond.
And it Always was, as God was, and is,
and Jesus you were the diamond- becoming
because You volunteered to enter this thing called time.
This crucible of fire and pressure called the fall entered into that creation groaning
and the weight of the groaning and the weight in the waiting was placed on You and by Your stripes we are healed, through
Heat, pressure and time
A diamond, because of the weight and the waiting and the worth.
and we, being made in Your likeness,
have been given an invitation for glory,
an affirmation of our worth and value
and an opportunity for process, refinement,
for weight and heat and pressure in time
So let us pick up our crosses and die daily,
by drawing in closer to Your love in prayer and the Word:
Heat
And pushing in when we might turn away,
Looking that panhandler in the face and praying God’s love
and speaking life when the world speaks condemnation,
and pleading the case for the poor, the orphan and the widow when it is easier to just look away:
Pressure
And in faithfulness proclaiming that
the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice,
And that we, with You oh God, will bend it,
by speaking up against unjust systems
wrestling not against flesh and blood and worldly labels,
but against principalities and powers in prayer
again and again
by practicing faithfulness and self control
in Time
and over time
And being refined, as we long for righteousness
right standing in relationship between God and man
and man and God, and man and man
And as we sit under the weight of it, waiting,
Maranatha, longing, hungering and thirsting for it
our hearts become like Your own,
Your heart is a Diamond
And oh how it shines for the world
So let us shine like You
with love
This is the other spoken word I did at church on February 23, when heaven felt so close for me, while Ahmaud Arbery was run down and killed.
I am trying to walk that line of the already and the not yet, of being lost in my awe of Jesus Christ while still having my eyes open here, hoping for healing and change and lamenting over injustice.
I think, that is what life should look like for we aliens and sojourners not of this world. The prince of the power of the air, that lowly lion has filled it with pollution.
This makes it hard to breathe at times, but when we remember Whose Breath is in our lungs, then we can and we should pour out our praise in the midst of our prophetic protest.
I actually wrote most of this during one of our worship services with my local family of believers. One of our brothers shared an original song of his and then gave us some time to just soak in worship and most of this just hit.
One major difference from the first draft to the final though, was perspective in a way. The first draft was written about Jesus, and not actually to Jesus.
One of my mentors and I were talking once about worship services. He said that his major preference is worship directed directly at God, instead of about God. I don’t know how much specific impact that had in the perspective shift, but I think back on it now and feel like it must have been one facet.
I know that the diamond word picture has been used by many before, so forgive me if it’s tired to you. Nothing’s new under the sun, but the Son makes all things new. (Okay if you heard that one too, well then God bless you Pray for me.)
Resurrecting old tropes is 100% legit I think. I’m pretty sure HE invented the remix.
This specific recording is from our practice before service. I’ll probably post the full set from that day in a few weeks.
The Light Worship Team you hear in this recording:
- Spoken Word: John Dorsey Jr
- Keys & Brief Vocals: Rebecca Fanning
- Brief Vocals: Cynthia Miller
- Guitar: Stephen Chai
The Bail Project – Jesus paid it all to set captives free. We can’t do the same, but we can do something similar.
Video info:
Audio recorded on Google Pixel 2 XL
Video created on Google Pixel 2 XL using PowerDirector for Android https://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector-video-editing-software/features_en_US.html
Visual for video: “Background 0993”, belongs to Videvo
Festival of Booths 
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