“Listen every body, the ship is
now on fire!”
The captain shouted loudly. His voice could not go
higher.
He waved and flapped His arms
about, but no one seemed to care.
It seemed no one was listening, so they were unaware,
Of the approaching danger. Their
lethargy was deep.
They much preferred their indolence; and so they fell
asleep.
And then the fire took them! They
didn’t stand a chance.
Their end was very painful and not a royal dance.
The problem’s not a new one. It’s
gone around for years.
The people were not listening. It seems they’d closed
their ears.
And so the cataclysm caught them
unprepared.
And all the implications make sober men feel scared.
It happened back in Germany. Good
men refused to act;
Until the rise of Hitler was an accomplished fact.
We know that evil prospers when
righteous men look on,
Until the opportunity to challenge it has gone.
Isaiah warned about it; and Jesus
Christ agreed.
You have to listen carefully, before the dreadful
deed.
And those who didn’t listen and
simply closed their ears,
Would find they reaped a harvest exceeding all their
fears.
Two people brought a warning to
the people of the land.
They paid them scant attention, or heeded their demand.
The Baptist brought a message,
which sounded like a dirge.
They didn’t want to hear him. His message on the verge,
Of making them uncomfortable and
telling them to change.
They didn’t want to follow Him. They thought that he
was strange.
And then the Lord Almighty
appeared upon the scene.
He said the Father loved them and showed what that
could mean.
His message was appealing and not
a thing to dread.
But even so, the message went right above their heads.
The people were reluctant; they
wouldn’t dance with John.
His message was depressing; their interest was gone.
And when the Lord spoke anything,
it should have made them glad.
But none of them were dancing! My goodness it was sad.
Regardless of the music, not one
of them joined in.
It might disturb their lethargy and preference for
sin.
It sad to know, two thousand
years since then have passed us by.
And in that interregnum, no one has wondered why?
So few have paid attention to the
things that Jesus said.
They still refused to dance for Him or mourn their
many dead.
But why should we expect it? How
can they hear His voice,
If they refuse to listen, by preference and by choice?
Jim Strickland – Written – 3rd November 2011
