My entire life along,
I told myself I could be trusted
and it was the others who were wrong.
I divided the people in my heart,
the bad on the left, the good on the right,
The good to be trusted and welcomed,
the bad to be turned out to the night.
And lo and behold,
Though the years took their toll my face,
the list of the bad got longer,
and the pain I could not erase.
And lo and behold,
I was struck with the guilt of my sin,
I had kept my brother out,
and let the devil in.
Because I made hatred my armor
and rage the sword in my hand,
I had rejected the cross of my savior,
and spat at His outstretched hand.
I had looked at people as objects,
I had scorned the kingdom of God,
I had schemed to be Captain and Master
to seize fortune and glory abroad,
To spend my whole life running
From the Man with the blood-red hands
Who was killed and then conquers and calls us
To let go of our wretched plans
And give all the fear and anger,
and the rage that burns in my heart
To the sky that is blue eternal
and the wind that cries "Thou Art!"
As far as the east is from the west,
so shall that bright sky blow
and carry away like a leaf on the wind
That list I had always known.
And with every passing morning
when the sun rises with the day
Christ will be seen carrying
my sins far and away
The man who was sleeping shall awaken
and the sinner who was dead shall die,
And the King who is alive within me,
shall walk to The City in the Sky.
