A Christian Life In Lyrics

This was another country-style tune, also quite early on. In 1973, I read a statement by a pretentious feminist calling herself Ta-Tanisha, claiming (approximate quote) that "The exploitation of women by men is the root cause of ALL injustices in society." It's a good thing she wasn't one of those icky conservatives who think in stereotypes, eh? Of course, no MAN was ever exploited by anyone, and no WOMAN was ever guilty of doing the exploiting. Simplicity makes such a handy substitute for thought!

The idea of group identity conferring special moral status was what got me started on this song. And when Kevin S. Johnson and I produced our self-invested record album "Knights of the Lord's Table" in 1976, this song was included as a counterpoint to the more dignified Christian ballads on the album.


"I CAN DO NO WRONG"


I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a rich man, I made my fortune from free enterprise.
I pay my taxes when I can't evade them, and always do what's right in my own eyes.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a poor man; that wealthy hypocrite sure has his nerve.
An honest man like me should have his money; I'll get a gun and take what I deserve!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a woman, exploited by the male since I was three;
It's men who are to blame for all our trouble, so I can do whatever pleases me!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

What's mine is mine, what's yours is mine,
Whatever I decide, is fine.
You can't tell me to toe the line,
'Cause I'm as tough as Frankenstein!
I always say that might makes right,
As long as I don't lose a fight,
But if success is not in sight,
I'll bring a lawsuit out of spite!

I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a guru, a perfect master of the highest rank;
I'll free you from the burden of your money, and do my meditating at the bank.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a convict; society had no right to employ
Restraint upon so good a man as I am, just 'cause I killed a thirteen-year-old boy.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a--
--- and here I would break off the tune long enough to say to the audience, "Fill in a denomination here."
No other church but mine is given grace!
If God should let those others into Heaven, I think I'd rather live some other place!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

Morality is just a game
To try to make me feel some shame,
But I know I am not to blame,
'Cause everybody does the same!
Who cares what preachers have to say?
I'm no concerned with Judgment Day.
I'll go on living my own way;
I'm sure I'll never have to pay!

I can do no wrong 'cause I'm an old man; my wisdom and my knowledge never fail.
Experience has made me open-minded; those hairy beatniks ought to be in jail!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a young man; there's no one as intelligent as I.
This universe was made for my convenience; I wish old folks would hurry up and die!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

Over an instrumental finish, I say in a stuffy-sounding voice, "I sure am glad I'm not like that tax collector over there!"


(c) Joseph R. Ravitts
 
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I have often commiserated with myself in these pages about how heredity imposed on me a VERY late physical maturing, in which my puberty voice-change didn't even start until something like age 17, and I didn't reach my final adult height until 22. But it's interesting to reflect that, because of this, my first beginning of having ANY chance with girls did not occur until I was not far away from becoming a Christian. Thus, the "awakening" which leads so many Christian-raised boys to reject the morals they were taught, had little chance to defile this agnostic-raised boy before Jesus got His hands on the rudder of my heart.

Because my intellect was always WAY, WAY ahead of the foot-dragging development of my runty body, it was natural for me to socialize with two groups: people significantly younger than I, who were on my level in physical and emotional maturity, and people significantly older than I, who were my peers mentally. Not until I was in college was I near enough to "completion" that this gap could begin to close. The first serious romantic attractions I ever felt came in this period.

Most notable of these was Marcella Heater, an African-American girl from Ohio who attended my college. She was two or three years older than I, but expressed enough sincere admiration for my intelligence as to equalize us considerably. (This, of course, was long before I became involved with my eventual first wife, Mary.) We hung out some; I hesitate to say that she used me, but it is true that I did her many favors, especially driving her places she needed to go. I was not the only white guy attracted to Marcella; she dated another white student at the same time she was keeping me on the "just-pals-for-now" reserve list. That guy treated her badly--leaving me, not for the first or last time, to wonder why so many girls put off guys who they KNOW would treat them well, in favor of selfish bums who exploit them.

Yet Marcella must have at least thought highly enough of me to mention me to her family. When she graduated (I was finishing my sophomore year then), her mother came up to me and thanked me for being such a good friend to her daughter. Maybe Mrs. Heater also knew about the no-good boyfriend Marcella had so unwisely preferred over me. And I had benefitted from the time I spent with Marcella: I got valuable practice in showing kindness and consideration precisely to a woman from whom I was NOT "getting any." Coming from her, the phrase "Let's be friends" did not QUITE mean "You are less worthy than dog-poop," which is what it usually means when said by girls to guys.

Be that as it may, one of my very earliest songs (but written after she graduated and went back to Ohio) was about Marcella. I derived the title, and something of the words, from what Marcella used to say about wishing she had her own island. The melody was a Latin beguine kind of thing; imagine a background of sustained synthesized strings, punctuated by Spanish guitar, bongos, claves, etc.


"Marcella's Island"


Somewhere on the climb uphill to maturity,
Fortune brought me by a girl never meant for me.
All the same, she gave me more good days
Than a few I knew in warmer ways.

Listen, Lord above, Your mold broke when you designed
Her so full of love to give where she was inclined;
But I wonder why that was displayed
To a man by whom she'd be betrayed.

Never mind the answer to that question, for I sigh less than I smile
When my memories begin to mention being on Marcella's Isle.

I can only guess her trail since the sunny day
When she left a blessing here, and went on her way.
But I know an island fair as dawn,
And I do believe that's where she's gone--

Leaving me behind on land barren as a bone,
Leaving me to find I'm still never quite alone,
Leaving me equipped for joy or pain,
Not to be an awkward boy again.

If I ever see my schooner floating, someday when I've made my pile,
Leaving all the trade routes, I'll go boating over to Marcella's Isle.

Now the coming years hold things I cannot foresee,
But I'll never fear what God wants to do with me;
And I'll be refreshed by dreaming of
How a gentle friend taught me to love.

Nor will I forget her isle, though the way is long;
If I ever get there, I'll write another song.
But if I arrive, and she's not there,
I will settle just to breathe her air.

She'll be making some man rich as Croesus with what lies behind her smile;
As for me, I'll be content if Jesus joins me on Marcella's Isle!


A note to aspiring male songwriters: no matter how good a song is that you write about a woman, I guarantee you that no other woman who comes into your life will EVER want to hear it.
 
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Copperfox said:
This was another country-style tune, also quite early on. In 1973, I read a statement by a pretentious feminist calling herself Ta-Tanisha, claiming (approximate quote) that "The exploitation of women by men is the root cause of ALL injustices in society." It's a good thing she wasn't one of those icky conservatives who think in stereotypes, eh? Of course, no MAN was ever exploited by anyone, and no WOMAN was ever guilty of doing the exploiting. Simplicity makes such a handy substitute for thought!

The idea of group identity conferring special moral status was what got me started on this song. And when Kevin S. Johnson and I produced our self-invested record album "Knights of the Lord's Table" in 1976, this song was included as a counterpoint to the more dignified Christian ballads on the album.


"I CAN DO NO WRONG"


I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a rich man, I made my fortune from free enterprise.
I pay my taxes when I can't evade them, and always do what's right in my own eyes.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a poor man; that wealthy hypocrite sure has his nerve.
An honest man like me should have his money; I'll get a gun and take what I deserve!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a woman, exploited by the male since I was three;
It's men who are to blame for all our trouble, so I can do whatever pleases me!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

What's mine is mine, what's yours is mine,
Whatever I decide, is fine.
You can't tell me to toe the line,
'Cause I'm as tough as Frankenstein!
I always say that might makes right,
As long as I don't lose a fight,
But if success is not in sight,
I'll bring a lawsuit out of spite!

I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a guru, a perfect master of the highest rank;
I'll free you from the burden of your money, and do my meditating at the bank.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a convict; society had no right to employ
Restraint upon so good a man as I am, just 'cause I killed a thirteen-year-old boy.
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a--
--- and here I would break off the tune long enough to say to the audience, "Fill in a denomination here."
No other church but mine is given grace!
If God should let those others into Heaven, I think I'd rather live some other place!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

Morality is just a game
To try to make me feel some shame,
But I know I am not to blame,
'Cause everybody does the same!
Who cares what preachers have to say?
I'm no concerned with Judgment Day.
I'll go on living my own way;
I'm sure I'll never have to pay!

I can do no wrong 'cause I'm an old man; my wisdom and my knowledge never fail.
Experience has made me open-minded; those hairy beatniks ought to be in jail!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a young man; there's no one as intelligent as I.
This universe was made for my convenience; I wish old folks would hurry up and die!
I can do no wrong 'cause I'm a white man, and I can do no wrong because I'm black;
Oh, I can do no wrong, I'm only human, so get those Jesus people off my back!

Over an instrumental finish, I say in a stuffy-sounding voice, "I sure am glad I'm not like that tax collector over there!"


(c) Joseph R. Ravitts
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This one was amazing. Gosh, CF, everytime I think you're songs can't be any more inspiring or beautiful or whatever you surprise me with your next post! It's quite inconveinant not being able to settle into a set mind frame;)

I like this one because I did actually have someone tell me, in slightly different words, that she could do no wrong. Then in the next breath, when I cornered her on something, she said "Well, geez, I'm only human. You can't expect me to be perfect!" I wanted to laugh in her face
 
Thanks as ever for the affirmation, ladies.

Another song I did somewhat in the vein of "I CAN DO NO WRONG" was called "THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CARNAL CHARLIE." It followed the career of an imaginary man who _claims_ to have come to Jesus, but--like "bringing your own evil into Lothlorien"--only _uses_ different phases of his dubious spiritual journey to gratify himself.

It would take lots of digging or remembering to provide the _complete_ lyric; it was a _long_ song. But I can provide enough to give you the idea. It begins before Charlie's alleged conversion...


Carnal Charlie was a believer in his own lukewarm way;
He said "My faith's a personal, private thing which I don't display."
Charlie didn't visit church often--thought it was too contrived.
He didn't hunt for truth, as he thought he already had arrived.
He read Biblical novels,
But he had hardly read a whole chapter of the Book whence those novels derived.

Carnal Charlie was a young fellow, single and on the make;
He said, "God made our bodies, and so all pleasure is ours to take."
Charlie's Unitarian girlfriend felt the same way as he,
Until one day a doctor informed her she was three months pee-gee.
Charlie had a hard time explaining
To her that marriage was so old-fashioned, and he just had to be free.

Charlie, why don't you give up playing religious games?
You've enlisted God to further your own aims!
You think you're "spiritual," but you still seek your own;
It's high time that you let Jesus on the throne!

Some verses later, after Charlie has been a professed Christian for awhile:

Carnal Charlie met a young single girl in his fellowship;
They got together praying in tongues, and ended up lip to lip.
Soon the Lord was credited with a prophecy that these two
Ought to get married, as they coincidentally wished to do.
It was Charlie who spoke
That prophecy, and he got a quick confirmation from--well, I guess you know who.

The marriage proves rocky, as both spouses try to outdo each other in _claimed_ (but self-serving) instances of specially hearing from God. At last, in a full-circle ending, Charlie's son grows up to imitate all of his father's hypocrisy and selfishness.
 
The pregnant girlfriend was simply discarded; Charlie was too busy being in love with himself. But your very act of asking about it helped me to remember what came right after that first "Charlie, why don't you--" refrain, as well as part of what followed the "praying in tongues" part.


Carnal Charlie, after some years of serving his own desires,
At last became aware of the danger of the eternal fires.
At an Apostolic revival service, he outran all
The people swarming down from their seats to answer the altar call.
Once "converted," he started
Preaching to everybody who'd listen to him, although his knowledge was small.

The idea was that Charlie would waver between wrong extremes. In his first church involvement he was harsh, arrogant and legalistic. Then, changing his mind, he went to the more permissive, undisciplined "charismatic" fellowship where he met the second woman. And the problems in his marriage to that one were "solved" by both spouses deciding that FAITH ITSELF was the cause of their quarrels--

Carnal Charlie spent the next two years bickering with his wife,
Each claiming Spirit-leading, and thereby carrying on the strife.
Charlie then decided that he had gone a bit overboard,
And harmed his love relationship by debating about the Lord.
So they had a great reconciliation,
And promised that henceforth doctrinal issues would be ignored.

So Charlie and his wife throw out the baby with the bathwater, dismissing all concern with knowing and teaching ACTUAL FACTS about God in favor of unexamined emotions. This is WHY they fail to prevent their son from following in the worst of his father's footsteps.

Yeah, it is a sad song, though I told the story with dark humor. But it's even sadder that, with all the clamor in churches today about "always being positive," problems like the Carnal Charlie brand of self-deception are going unaddressed.
 
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Glad to be of service.

CF said:
In his first church involvement he was harsh, arrogant and legalistic.
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It seems, however, only in areas that are conveinant to him. Apparently pre-maritial sex wasn't TO unchristain.:rolleyes:
 
I really like your rhyming..
I LOVE "Deep Holes".. I really do..nice concept.. (The same concept- with a new and different way of putting it..Like it.)
 
Thank you, Moonshadow. Some time after I wrote "Deep Holes," I discovered a classic booklet called "My Heart, Christ's Home," which had a similar metaphor of Jesus entering a human heart.

Rhyannid, I realize that my disjointed recalling of "Carnal Charlie" could create chronological confusion. His premarital sex occurred BEFORE he became arrogantly religious.
 
Moving along now, to something less grim:

I have shown a sample of my writing lyrics to someone else's melody. What I will now post is a song that had my own melody more or less--but the original was so vague melody-wise that people nonetheless regarded me as using the "original music" which had been little more than TALKING over a four-chord progression. My inspiration, or template, was "The Monster Mash," a humorous song about movie monsters which came out when I was in junior high. My derivative song dealt with a worse kind of horror: false teachings leading souls to destruction.



THE MANTRA MASH

I was praying to the Lord late one night,
When my eyes beheld a dreary sight:
'Twas a guru sitting in a lotus pose,
And then and there, before my nose,

He did the Mash, the Mantra Mash, a stupid grin upon his face;
He did the Mash, the Mantra Mash, his brain as blank as outer space.

I decided I would ask him what he thought
Anyone would gain from what he taught;
But it took awhile to make him notice me,
For with closed eyes, persistently,

He did the Mash -- etc.

When at last his eyelids rose, I asked him to explain;
He said, "There is a oneness everything must attain.

"For God is all, so all is God,
The Sun, the Moon, the rock, the clod;
They all are you, and you are they,
And up is down, and night is day."

I said, "Hold on, you're sounding dumb;
If I am God, then God's a bum,
For I have sinned, and that's no lie!"
--Then, though I hoped he would reply,

He did the Mash -- etc.

And so I left him to his chant;
He thinks he'll reach God, but he can't.
God gave us brains with which to think,
But Lord, how low our thoughts can sink!

DON'T do the Mash, the Mantra Mash; don't melt your brain down into slime!
DON'T do the Mash, the Mantra Mash; the Bible beats it every time!
(Last lines repeat)
 
The next song was written MUCH later than the others posted so far, but its SUBJECT rightfully belongs in these early stages. I refer to my first wife (now residing Further Up and Further In), whose maiden name was Mary Scudellari. She was the person, some years before I married her, who urged me to start singing with Kevin S. Johnson, which led to years of music ministry. Mary's maiden surname was Italian, meaning "Shield Bearer." This lent itself eventually to a song in her honor, whose tune is slightly similar to Paul Simon's "The Boxer." Note that the references to guns and cops are purely metaphorical. Note also that, when I wrote this song in about 1994, I had no idea that Mary would get through The Door Into Summer so much sooner than I.


"SHIELD BEARER"

When life itself is robbing us with guns on every side,
And there's no cop to report it to, 'cause all the cops are bribed,
And authorities don't even care if we know that they've lied,
That longing aching stabs me through and through:
That old wish that I could get away with you.

When all the standard words of comfort go completely dry,
And I'm tired of living, almost more than I'm afraid to die,
You patiently bear with me, though I curse or even cry,
Then set my feet back on the rocky slope,
Pouring out your loving heart to give me hope.

Oh, my Shield Bearer, though life is never safe,
You're there to fix the broken straps upon my shield of faith.
And when our journey through this evil world is done,
Our life of love will only have begun.

This song belongs to no one but the one who took my name:
That's Mary Scudellari Ravitts, just to make it plain.
No movie star, no model, and no queen adds up the same.
However high the wrongs of life are piled,
Even higher shines the mother of my child.

I will not quit believing, though I'm tired of eating dirt,
And the enemy is trying hard to get me to desert.
If you knew how much I love you just for caring when I'm hurt,
You'd never doubt my knowledge of your worth;
You're my treasure most unique in all the Earth.

Oh, my Shield Bearer, though life is never safe,
You're there to fix the broken straps upon my shield of faith.
And when our journey through this evil world is done,
You'll wear the crown your faith in Christ has won.


(c) Joseph R. Ravitts

________________________________________________
=============================================


"Though lovers be lost, love shall not,
And death shall have no dominion." -- Dylan Thomas
 
When I was in the music ministry "Knights of the Lord's Table" with Kevin S. Johnson, almost all of our songwriting collaboration consisted of him writing music and me writing words. Our "theme song" was like that. Kevin already had a dramatic melody available to use, and I attached to it an idea which had been in my head for some time.

The idea grew out of my last year of collegiate life. Participating in an "Inter-Varsity" chapter (a fine organization, by the way) had been spiritually beneficial for me, but also had caused me to become neglectful of evangelism. In the recollection of this, I wrote the words of what was to be Kevin's and my opening number for many a performance....


"THE LORD'S TABLE"

Bread of Heaven, flesh of Christ, with His blood for wine,
Living water, and the fruit of the Father's vine:
All these things He did provide, and He gives them still;
His supply does not grow less when we eat our fill.

Rise up from the table, then; open wide the door;
Summon beggars to the feast Jesus has in store.
How can we, who claim to serve Jesus with our all,
Watch as others whom He loves feebly faint and fall?

There are souls kept in durance vile
By the spell of the Devil's guile.
These to save is a noble quest;
Let no man go who fears the test.

Take your armor ere you go from the castle gate,
For we have to venture where dragons lie in wait.
Shield of faith to quench the flames, sword of truth to slay
Dragons who with malice dread seek to bar our way.

(Wordless vocal passage leads to the finale.)

'Tis no small adventure to recover the lost;
Let us then attempt it, having counted the cost.
There are places at the banqueting board;
We must bring the hungry--'tis the will of the Lord.
We must bring the hungry--'tis the will of the Lord.


As should be apparent from these words, Kevin and I tried to take evangelistic music beyond the usual sugar-fluff of endlessly cooing about "unconditional love," and on into realms of discipleship and responsibility and taking up the cross.
 
that is great CF these are very inspiring its better that its not all the flowery stuff. knowing we are warriors in God's family is important as well and that life is not going to be easy as a Christian we have to remember we have to take up our cross its part of our walk
 
Thank you, K-J-C. And for a glance at what is the opposition we face:

Another case of my writing words and Kevin writing music was a song which picked up on Mr. Lewis' warnings about people being led only by emotion. The song's title is a phrase from "The Screwtape Letters."


THE KINGDOM OF NOISE

A man has a chip on his shoulder, a woman is nursing a grudge;
The tempers are starting to smoulder, the people are hasty to judge.
Each one is demanding his rights now to more of the fat of the land;
With verbal and physical fights, now, the Kingdom of Noise is at hand.

That kingdom is noise, but not joyful noise,
For Satan enjoys only that which destroys.
Dear girls and boys, recover your poise,
And do not be part of the Kingdom of Noise.

You know how the clamorous legions will shout till they wear out their jaws
For Artemis of the Ephesians, or some other unworthy cause.
When people are given to scowling, and making a fist of a hand,
What wonder if soon they are howling? The Kingdom of Noise is at hand.

That kingdom is noise, but not joyful noise,
For Satan enjoys only that which destroys.
Dear girls and boys, recover your poise,
And do not be part of the Kingdom of Noise.

Now, God recommends peace and quiet in which to discover His grace.
You'll hardly find God in a riot; you'll mainly get punched in the face.
But love always looks out of season to those under Satan's command;
When people won't listen to reason, the Kingdom of Noise is at hand.

That kingdom is noise, but not joyful noise,
For Satan enjoys only that which destroys.
Dear girls and boys, recover your poise,
And do not be part of the Kingdom of Noise.
Jesus will silence the Kingdom of Noise.
 
My friends here have seen my concern with objective truth. One of my more obscure early songs reflects this:

"Jesus Never Lies"

Jesus, in His years of living as a man, said the most important things in plain words.
Many things He said are hard to understand, but He wasn't playing games with vain words.
Jesus, on the night He was to be betrayed, had a lot to say to the Eleven:
Told them that they never ought to be dismayed, told them that there really is a Heaven.

Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it still?
--Never has lied a single time, and never will!
Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it now?
--He reminds us we must repent, and shows us how.

Sin won't go away if we deny it's there; it's a thing that someone must atone for.
Freedom from a guilty heart, and from despair, we must look to Jesus Christ alone for.
If you hear a self-appointed prophet say there's another way to God than Jesus,
Let him hear the truth and send him on his way; we must never let the Devil seize us.

Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it still?
--Never has lied a single time, and never will!
Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it now?
--He reminds us we must repent, and shows us how.

Jesus never comforts anyone with lies; flattery's the method of the Devil.
Jesus tells the truth, and sets us free to rise up into a higher, better level.
There are many mansions in the Father's place; Jesus would have told us were it not so.
When we're taken into the angelic race, we'll be well aware of how we got so.

Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it still?
--Never has lied a single time, and never will!
Isn't it great that Jesus told the truth, and tells it now?
--He reminds us we must repent, and shows us how.

(c) Joseph R. Ravitts
 
Now for my wedding song!

I wrote this in 1975, and performed it at several other people's weddings before I got the chance to sing it at my own. On Easter Sunday of 1979, my Mary came up the aisle to the music of Mendelssohn's War March of the Priests from "Athalie"--NOT to the tedious, worn-out "Here Comes the Bride." Just _before_ the processional, I sang the following. (The Psalm on which it was based was also used on our wedding invitations.)


"Father, Build A House"

Unless the Lord shall build the house, it never will endure;
Unless our love comes from the Lord, it never will be sure.
So Father, build a house for us, with all a house may hold,
Where by Your grace, we'll dwell until You call us to the fold.

Till Jesus comes, or one of us dies,
Father, let us be one in Your eyes.
Fashion our days
After Your will, rather than by our uncertain ways.

This is a time for happiness; the trials lie ahead.
In everything we'll need Your help, just like our daily bread.
We're trusting You to care for us, and make our love mature;
Built on Your strength and righteousness, this marriage will endure.

Till Jesus comes, or one of us dies,
Father, let us be one in Your eyes.
Fashion our years
After Your will, rather than by our wishes and fears.

Unless the Lord shall build the house, it never will endure;
Unless our love comes from the Lord, it never will be sure.
So Father, build a house for us, with all a house may hold,
Where by Your grace, we'll dwell until You call us to the fold.


(c) Joseph R. Ravitts
 
Copperfox said:
Tweetsie, thank you for the positive words! Besides, getting such a rapid response clears my way to insert ANOTHER of my old song lyrics. The one already seen was written in about 1973; this next one was written much later, but still pertains to the start of my spiritual journey. It closely describes my own feelings upon early exposure to "Jesus Freaks."


"STRANGER IN CHURCH"


What ever brought me to this place? There isn't one familiar face.
They seem to be another race;
It isn't the skin, but look at the grin that they're all sharing.
Too late to leave, they're starting now; I'll have to play it cool somehow,
Blend in the herd like one more cow,
Try to pretend that I comprehend what they're all sharing.

Before I came, I thought
That I could pass unnoticed in this Christian crowd;
But now I feel
As out of place as lightning in a sky without a cloud!

They keep repeating Jesus' name; what if they find I'm not the same?
Will I be sorry that I came?
They might refuse to let me get loose till they convert me.
I know a guy who says he's read Christians would knock you on the head
If you deny one thing they said;
I'm so unlike them--how can I psych them not to hurt me?

And yet, I haven't really
Seen a hostile face among the people here;
Their eyes are shining, but
The light they have might be a cause for hope, not fear.

Is it of God that I've been scared? It may turn out that I'd be spared
Uneasiness if I had dared
Right from the start to open my heart before these Christians.
What is the joy they radiate? is it a spiritual state
That no one but God could create?
This much is true--it's not easy to ignore these Christians!


(c) JOSEPH R. RAVITTS
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and that is how i felt when i attended church...
 
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