September 17 2025

 Our world lies broken, 
hurt burns in so many hearts.
But no-one talks about healers
They only talk about the breakers, the dividers 
Men and women seek to tear apart people 
To tell lies that make a frightened young man 
into a fearful brooding menace 
The question “who is my neighbour?” 
Is answered by a scream, “it’s not the brown one”
But that’s my great neice, 
The blood in her veins has run 
in this valley for a thousand years
The question was first answered by a brown man called Jesus
He said the neighbour was the person who acted like one.
Then I have many neighbours,
Some honour the Prophet
Others honour the Son
Others honour the human 
Some are white, some are brown, 
I am neighbour to each as they are to me
It’s not one way
It’s community 
It’s communion 
We are a fellowship of humanity, of hope 
We are we
No-one is they, or the other
It’s easy to think like this,
It doesn’t hurt my head to think like this,
It doesn’t make me have to think mad thoughts 
It hurts to hate, it breaks your heart,
confuses your brain 
Take the easy way, walk the way of us 
Not the way of them
Walk with an open hand not a fist 
You can’t catch a helping hand 
With a clenched fist 
An open hand can place a poultice 
on the wounds of the broken ones 
An open hand can brush the tears away 
An open hand can reach out and rescue you
An open hand can share a pasty 
An open hand can release your fear 
We can mend the world