by Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2024
First published in WestWard Quarterly (Winter Issue, 2024-2025)
Brightness shines within us,
darkness flees with every beam,
as God’s Word pours from our lips,
feared by each despot’s regime.
Truth reveals deception
cast by ideology,
seeking to replace Scripture
with man’s own theology.
Only God deserves worship,
as no leader is divine,
our Churches are but branches,
for which Christ serves as the vine.
Fear not persecution
for truth frightened sinners past,
while Christ taught us to redeem
souls that shall forever last.
Despite arrayed forces:
secular, shariah law —
Jesus helps us to endure
suffering that He foresaw.
No matter what our future
we rejoice to serve the Lord,
sharing the Gospel with those
who hunger for living Word.