FRANKIE

They shot another cashier at the bank
And Frankie's Ma was hijacked by a druggie with a knife
A politician fell from grace and a Reverend got lost
And the little mother down the road—well, she wants to end her life
And it's just another day in this rat race to the pits
It's just another day for the strong to crush the weak
It's just another day, and the forecast is not good
It's just another day
...
How I wish a bush would burn
Right here, in these city streets
But it's just another day...

This is the first verse, chorus, and bridge of a song I wrote many years ago. I showed it to a (Christian) artist, and his comment was "Who's Frankie?"

Totally missed the point...

Looking back, I think this incident illustrates one of the greatest shortcomings of the modern church: we are brilliant at dissecting the minor details while we totally miss the point. And in case you've missed it too, it's not about who Frankie is, or the politician, but about the desperation so many people live with every day, all around us, with no hope of things getting better. Too often we just want to hear their stories and go back to our holy huddle where we dish it up "like hors d'oeuvres on a tray" and "pray them in the back" (Steve Camp's words), never hearing people crying or seeing their tears, never having the compassion of Jesus, never understanding that they are "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).

And of course social media gives us the perfect vehicle to help fleece the sheep, to rant and rave about the sin of the world, to rip people and societies apart, "to crush the weak", while we are warmly ensconced in the safety of online anonimity.

Will we ever learn to look beneath the surface, to hear and see the real story, and then to just be there for the hurting humanity at our doorstep, a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold when no-one else would?

Looking at myself, I often think that "the forecast is not good"....