The Mission Close to Home #1895

The Mission Close to Home In the age of distant wings, We dream of far-off lands, With hearts that soar on faith's swift breeze, To spread the Word with eager hands. But near our feet, the soil cries, The bowls of love, they leak and wear, We turn our gaze to foreign skies, While nearby souls seek tender care. Water flows both near and far, Its essence pure, its journey wide, Yet love begins where neighbors are, In mending hearts we stand beside. Hebrews speaks with gentle plea, "Do not forget to do what's right, To share with those you're blessed to see, And please your God with sacrifice." The mission field is broad and vast, From local streets to distant shores, Yet let us not neglect the past, Nor close our hearts to nearby doors. For in the eyes of those we meet, The face of Christ is shining bright, Our mission's call is bittersweet, In every neighbor, pure delight. So let us mend the bowls we hold, With love that heals, with care that's true, For in our acts of kindness bold, God's pleasure rests in me and you. The global age calls loud and clear, Yet whispers of the close at hand, Remind us that our mission here, Is in the hearts that understand. To be a light in every home, A beacon on each local street, Our mission is to never roam From where God's grace and mercy meet. So let us love both near and far, With hearts that see, with hands that give, For in each neighbor, near or far, We find the reason that we live. -Steven G. Lee (June 24, 2024)