Earth, Wind, and Fire

If I want to be new I must go through the fire.

Not thrown away like garbage, but refined with desire.

The burn, though it scalds, it is making me strong

And the grace of that pain makes me sing a new song.

We’re stronger in all of our broken down places,

And it’s true that at times I’ve brought on my disgraces,

But I cannot rely on just my own power;

Because I won’t stand alone on the last hour.

The weak will be strong, no more 99%,

All sad things are swept away 

Like your past relationships, broken hearts,

The fear to lose, a death too soon.

Porn, confusion, murder, and hate gone with the breeze,

But I don’t mean to make it sound at all easy.

It hurts to be burned, as it does to face change,

But I’m so damn tired of just being the same.

Take no offense at my language or meter

For we’re all at the edge and ready to teeter.

‘Cause we’re not made to live in a self caused damnation

Where we wait to be taken to some celestial location.

Same old sin, in all the right places;

Consume the consumed and hate others’ offenses,

Tear down all you can without offering a hand,

Afraid to built up, or of taking a stand.

Passion, light, warmth of the soul,

Fire does more then just smolder your core

For it’s not just removing what seems to be bad,

But everything good that’s been warped in our heads.

The “here, but not yet” you’ve heard it been said

While most of us act like the walking dead

Wandering around with our tedious plans,

Not making a difference, just waving our hands.

We clang like a cymbal, resound like a gong,

And tell other people, “It’s not here I belong!”

Then what are we doing? Just biding our time?

Jesus conquered death! Is that why we’re bored all the time?

We’re made for today, and new life to come;

I just can’t believe that our work here is done.

It’s never complete till he filters our sin

Yet we can’t wait for that for our life to begin.

He’s alive! He is here! In us all he abounds,

If we’re fueled with a passion or just making the rounds.

He calls out your name in the softest of words

And waits for his people to stop acting blurred.

Now with one parting question, I’ll stop moving my lips:

Will you go through the fire, in the hopes that it strips

All the death that is clinging to burro inside,

Or avoid any pain and let life pass you by?