Manifesto of Authentic Living #330

Manifesto of Authentic Living In the quiet of dawn, where whispers start, We vow to live the Gospel, heart to heart. Not just in echoes of what we say, But in our deeds, day by day. Jesus came, not for us to embrace defeat, But to rise, in every encounter we meet. A life of actions, not just beliefs confessed, In the service of the poor, our faith is best expressed. Beware the trap of words without deeds, Like seeds that sprout but grow no weeds. For the hypocrite wears a mask of faith, But walks a path that Jesus' teaching negates. "These people honor me with lips so bold, Yet their hearts are far, their love untold." A warning clear from scriptures old, To live our truth, to break the mold. Hypocrisy, the vice unforgiven, stands, A mirage in the desert sands. For a hypocrite's repentance is but a guise, A shallow well, dry of the wise. Rise, stand against hypocrisy's tide, If not, its teachers far and wide Will spread their creed of empty shells, And ignorance, like a shadow, swells. Confront, yet with respect and grace, Judge not, nor their efforts debase. For in respect, understanding finds its place, And ignorance, in light, faces its disgrace. "Whitewashed tombs," Jesus once decried, Beautiful outside, but death inside. Let not our hearts be tombs of stone, But gardens where love and truth have grown. For evil and pretenders, in deceit they wade, Their journey from bad to worse is laid. Let us not their path retread, But choose the light, the truth instead. This is our manifesto, clear and bright, To live our faith, in love and light. In every word, in every action, To find our truth, our satisfaction. -Written by Steven G. Lee (February 17, 2024)