From the Very Break of Day

Dear Eugene,

The Bible...like, how do we even read this thing?

How I wish the church would be honest enough to ask this question out loud, because then at least there is an awareness to seek a way out.

A river brings joy to the city of our God,
    the sacred home of the Most High.
5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.    
   From the very break of day, God will protect it.

From the very break of day, our life tells of a story unbiblical, often anti-Gospel, frequently downright Jesus-hating.  River, joy, city, home, none of these word resonates in our head, for our heart is full of a gigantic Nothing and all day long we struggle to find a way to do Something to and about this Nothing.  Sometimes we would throw out-of-context Bible verses into the gigantic Nothing and wish the wishing-well won't eat our coin and leave us a penny less.

I've never led worship at church, and if I ever get a chance to, this will be the opening song:

I pity the poor immigrant
Who wishes he would've stayed home
Who uses all his power to do evil
But in the end is always left so alone
That man whom with his fingers cheats
And who lies with every breath
Who passionately hates his life
And likewise, fears his death

I pity the poor immigrant
Whose strength is spent in vain
Whose heaven is like ironsides
Whose tears are like rain
Who eats but is not satisfied
Who hears but does not see
Who falls in love with wealth itself
And turns his back on me

I pity the poor immigrant
Who tramples through the mud
Who fills his mouth with laughing
And who builds his town with blood
Whose visions in the final end
Must shatter like the glass
I pity the poor immigrant
When his gladness comes to pass

Amen, Alex