despite the church, the CULTURE imagined something better

(the church:  larger church in america
the culture:  the neighborhood the church lives in)

while the church is preoccupied 
with the nuances of verbs, nouns 
adjectives and other 
intellectual banter
such as the difference 
between 
a and the
in and for...

while the church 
can't find the courage
or the compassion
all along 
demanding
the CULTURE 
to conform...

it is just about 
this time 
that CULTURE 
moved on.

the CULTURE  moved on
this past week 
at the 
grammy's
award show
as one leader i respect proclaimed.

the CULTURE dared 
to do what the church
refuses to do
but is the only thing 
they are called to do.

the CULTURE 
didn't just take on the church
the CULTURE took the church
stained glass windows and all.

the church yells truths
and the church remains silent 
hoping everything will just go
back the way it was
but there is no way 
to go back.

so the CULTURE moved on

the CULTURE 
ordained their own 
and did it themselves.

the CULTURE 
sang songs with all their heart
and pronounced LOVE
and celebrated LOVE.

the CULTURE did 
what the church 
won't do.

the church wrangles 
as if she is still relevant
but there is no 
relevancy if the church 
won't do what the church 
is called to do.

the church can't preach love
if the church can't love.

the church can't legislate love
if the church can't love.

the church has nothing to say to others about love
if the church can't love.

so....
this week
the CULTURE did
what the church
won't do.

the CULTURE
sang 
and 
lived LOVE
as 32 
straight and gay 
couples united in marriage.

the CULTURE
left the church 
behind this week.

in the CULTURE'S dust 
the church 
will continue to wrangle
with votes
and the collection of data
trying to find the way into the future

but the calling of the church 
is not about votes or data
or the parsing of tiny words
the church is called 
to love. 

perhaps the CULTURE
will teach the church
how to love.