“FEAR”

Peter died with Christ that night.

The darkness of the courtyard mingled violently with the darkness in the corners of his own soul. Death hung in the air like a blood red moon on the horizon. He turned to face the fear that tormented but didn’t realize it had already entered deep inside his own mind and heart. Turn as he might, he would not see it’s face that night.

“You’re one of them!” she said.

A simple maid in rags, not very old, probably friendly in the daytime. But now, now in the eerie light of the fire, she looked like an executioner hooded in black... The power of death and torture in her girlish tongue.

Peter was afraid. “I don’t know him!”

He only choked out the words, buth they seemed to hang stalely on the canvas of night, adding heaviness and fear to the cirle of light.

“I don’t know him”,” he muttered coldly to himself, his eyes falling deadly to the ground. “I don’t know him.” It kept pounding in his brain. “I don’t know him, I don’t know him!” He felt a cold chill run up his spine and pushed down an attack of terror as he retreated to the shadows for rest.

“Idon’t know him.” Something aobut those words were tormenting. It bit and cut, pounded and surged as those words repeated again and again in the hollow of his mind.

“I don’t know him. I don’t know him!”

Something ripped into his private hell with the force of a sledge hammer. He was knocked backwards by it’s blow. There was only one thing that could speak louder than his own inner struggle and this was it.

A man this time: “You are also one of them.”

“Man I am not!” It came out strong and loud, pushed violently by the force of troment and anger within him.

“I am not! I am not!”

A third blow came: “This fellow as with him, for he’s from galilee.”

Petere jumped up from his seat ready to strike th first person to get near him. Swear words he thought were long relinquished flowed out like a river. “ I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Fear has torment.

“Fear Of Man”

Whats in a name but the person described
The person comes out of his shell
Is he doing well?
Your name is changed
“You’re different” they say.
We liked you more the other way.
Go back inside
Go back and hide
Inside your shell
We think you’re swell
You’re just like us
Your shell is green,
It’s crusty top is always clean.

Go back inside,
It’s really pride
To come out and be different from us all
Inside your shell you look round like a ball.
Now your shape is different
And all your sides are so bent
Your hair is funny
Youre losing money
Go back inside your shell!

I won’t go back,
It has a crack
It’s stuffy inside there
I’m just like you
This may be true,
But to be myself I dare

My shell will leave
To reality cleave
I am who you all see
To leave this shell
I won’t do well
But I just must be me.

“Newness”

Thundrous rumblings
Earth shakes.
Security stolen; absolutes broken.
Fear of without; enters within
Where’s the cry of the osprey?
Heighths coming low; Singing from above.
Action hungry, Depths starved.
Stand up little boys of the nursery readings.
Your fairy tales won’t take you to the armies last stand.
Stand up little boys of the master’s last sitting.
Strong; the Word of God abides.
Look up, Redemption draws nigh.
Covering up childhood selfishness with the mask of religion.
Expecting to get without ever given.
Change from within, change comes without.
Fear leaves from love; expelling fears doubt.
Change isn’t ending,
It begins in the heart.
Living won’t accept what was absent at the start.
Metamophose; God’s work not mine.
It stats with the Spirit, to the Father He draws me.
My doubt unfolds, how can I come.
Metamorphose; God’s work not mine
Cry out for mercy; humility brings grace.
Grace imparted, Strength given.
Miracle help, I approach Holiness perfected
The cross looms large, reality overwhelming.
Something propels me; an unknown strength I can feel
The love and the fear with my sin gently deal.
Fear and death loom large, I’m offended.
Offence of the world becomes the love of my heart
I pass through his wounded soul, my sin beomces His.
Newness.