Reaping Faith
Virginia Salter

Love the Lord God with all
your heart
your mind
your soul
and your neighbor as yourself.

Simple directions to follow
to reap benefits of faith
why do we insist
in listing specificities
for whom we’ll love along the way.

Complicating faith
is what man seems about
complicating tenderness
to whisper or to shout.

Walking forward on a path
measured out just so
wanting to be certain
it’s the way we are to go.

Does He not ask of us
to seek and we shall find
does He not command us to step forth
into the waters, the brine.

There He will be;
He will have gone before
preparing the way
to reach the other shore.

Making sweetness of the acid
world may lay before us
forming His will within
and with His love bestow us.

Showing the manner
in which to love for true
toughly or tenderly
as we make our way through.

© August 5,  2000