BREAK THE BEAST, SET LOVE FREE

Inspired by Rabash, Article No. 42 (1991)

I fed the beast till my soul ran dry,

Gave him the earth, and he wanted the sky.

I offered him love, he demanded a price,

Turned every blessing to cold sacrifice.

He screamed for pleasure, he begged for more,

While truth stood bleeding outside my door.

I called myself righteous, I called myself wise,

While feeding a monster disguised in lies.

The ox knows its master, the donkey its feed,

But I chased the hunger of selfish need.

I wanted Your greatness displayed in the light,

But You gave me faith in the dead of the night.

I cursed the darkness, I cursed the fall,

Never once seeing Your love through it all.

For every descent that shattered my pride,

Was showing the beast I was keeping inside.

So break me of greed, but don't break my heart,

Tear every selfish intention apart.

Strip me of payment, of glory and fame,

Till nothing remains that demands in Your name.

I don't want heaven for serving You well,

Nor fear of punishment dragging me through hell.

I want to bestow when there's nothing to gain,

To love through the darkness, the silence, the pain.

And when my old nature comes begging for pay,

I'll tell that old bastard to get out of my way!

For truth is my compass, and love is my guide,

And faith is the strength when my reason has died.

I'll stand with my brothers, whatever may come,

Till ten beating hearts become beating as one.

No payment, no bargain, no selfish decree,

Just love for the others, and love setting me free.

So send me the darkness, I'll search for Your light,

Send me the struggle, I'll stay in the fight.

For even the fall can awaken my plea,

To give without taking—that's freedom to me!

And when I have nothing, no pleasure, no claim,

I'll still raise my heart and rejoice in Your name.

Not because You rewarded the suffering in me,

But because I can love without asking a fee.

THE SPIES WON'T LET ME PRAY

THE SPIES WON'T LET ME PRAY

An original poem inspired by Rabash

I stood before the King today,

But all my thoughts got in the way.

The spies inside began to shout,

"There's nothing here! Turn back! Get out!"

My heart was cold, my eyes were blind,

A thousand doubts ran through my mind.

I tried to give, but all I knew,

Was taking everything for me, not You.

I bowed my head, I closed my eyes,

And heard the truth beneath the lies.

I don't need gold, I don't need fame,

I need a heart that burns for Your name.

The dust was thick beneath my feet,

The taste of giving wasn't sweet.

But in that dust, I came to see,

The only thing that's missing is me.

Not who I am, but who I'll be,

When love replaces all of me.

So take this heart, and make it new,

Until there's nothing left but You.

WHEN THE FACE IS HIDDEN

By William S. Becker

I cried to Heaven, but silence came,

I cursed the darkness and called it by name.

I gave my heart, yet received only pain,

And wondered what love had left to gain.

I watched the wicked rise with pride,

While those who loved Him were cast aside.

The liars prospered, the faithful fell,

And my heart became its own private hell.

I begged for mercy, I begged for light,

But every prayer disappeared in the night.

I thought He'd abandoned the world and me,

And left us chained where we couldn't be free.

But who was it crying, demanding reward?

Who measured the love of the living Lord?

It was my ego, demanding its share,

Refusing to love without something there.

The first concealment had covered His Face,

The second had stolen all sense of His grace.

Yet even the darkness could not erase,

The hidden invitation to seek His embrace.

I turned to my brothers, with nothing to give,

And found in their hearts a new way to live.

Not asking for comfort, or riches above,

But strength to bestow without payment for love.

And there in the darkness, the truth became clear,

The Face wasn't absent because of my fear.

My vessels were changing, my heart learned to see,

That love wasn't something He owed unto me.

So break this damn ego, let selfishness fall,

Let love for my brothers rise over it all.

For the Good Who Does Good has never withdrawn,

And through our connection, we welcome the dawn.

"DON'T LEAVE EMPTY-HANDED"

Inspired by Rabash, The Agenda of the Assembly – 2

I came among my friends today,

With all my selfishness on display.

I heard their words, I saw their face,

But did I give my brother space?

I laughed, I smiled, I sang along,

Convinced myself that I belonged.

But when the gathering reached its end,

What did I carry from my friend?

Did I acquire another's pain?

Or walk away the same again?

Did I embrace his deepest need?

Or feed that bastard called my greed?

Don't tell me love is what you feel,

When someone's wounds you will not heal.

Don't speak of unity so grand,

While letting go your brother's hand.

You drill a hole beneath your feet,

And think your little world is sweet.

But damn it, brother, can't you see?

Your sinking boat is drowning me!

The Creator didn't bring us here,

To polish egos year by year.

He brought us broken, hard, and blind,

To build one heart, one soul, one mind.

So praise the friends, lift every name,

And set your selfish heart aflame.

Then ask what love demands today,

And put those words to work, I say!

For love ain't something you possess,

It's giving when you've nothing left.

It's finding joy in what you give,

And helping every brother live.

And when I leave, let something stay,

A greater love than yesterday.

Not empty words that disappear,

But all my brothers living here.

For when their hearts become my own,

No man among us stands alone.

And through the love we learn to give,

The Creator finds a place to live.

BREAK ME OPEN WITH LOVE

Inspired by Rabash, Article No. 1 (1991)

I thought I stood upon the truth,

But served myself since early youth.

I called it love, I called it prayer,

But all I wanted was my share.

You stripped the lies from deep within,

Exposed the selfishness beneath my skin.

Not to condemn, not to destroy,

But turn my shame to endless joy.

So break my pride and crush my throne,

I cannot change this heart alone.

Take every thought of "me" away,

And teach this beast to love today.

No crown I seek, no grand reward,

Just strength to serve You, precious Lord.

Through all my friends, let love shine through,

For we have no other King but You.

When the Heart Speaks

 

When the Heart Speaks

William S. Becker

When the room is quiet and the lights are low,

It doesn't mean that you don't know.

When the world is screaming deep inside,

It's not a reason to run and hide.

It's a time to truly listen to the heart,

Then let the mind decide where to start.

For every wound that life has made,

There's a truth beneath the scars that stayed.

The heart may break, the tears may fall,

But love still waits beyond it all.

And every shadow that clouds the day,

Is another chance to find the way.

Don't curse the darkness, don't fear the night,

The deepest longing can lead to light.

For what you seek is not yours alone,

It's found in the hearts you've come to know.

So take that pain and turn it around,

Let love be the answer that you've found.

For when our hearts begin to blend,

The lonely road has reached its end.

And when the room is quiet once more,

You'll know what all the pain was for.

Not to receive, not to stand apart,

But to give the love within your heart.

"I WANT NOTHING BUT TO GIVE"

 

Inspired by Rabash — Concerning Bestowal

I gave my heart, I gave my hand,

And thought that I could understand.

But deep beneath the things I'd done,

I found myself in every one.

I called it love, I called it grace,

But still my ego held its place.

I served with joy, I stood with pride,

While selfish love remained inside.

What kind of love demands a prize?

What kind of truth is built on lies?

If giving makes me feel so grand,

Whose pleasure really guides my hand?

And if another gives You more,

Will I step back and close that door?

Or will my pride refuse to bend,

And call itself a faithful friend?

Oh, break this heart that lives for me,

And give it strength to set love free.

Strip every bargain from my soul,

Until Your joy becomes my goal.

I cannot kill this selfish flame,

By strength of will or holy name.

The more I fight, the more I see,

This beast is far too strong for me.

But in the Ten, where hearts unite,

We raise our prayer into the light.

Not for a crown, not for a throne,

But strength to love beyond our own.

I want no payment for my tears,

No compensation for my years.

Just give me what I cannot earn,

A heart that gives without return.

And if another takes my place,

I'll celebrate his gift of grace.

For love is not what comes to me,

But what I give so You may be

The One whose joy becomes my own,

Where selfish love is overthrown.

And in that truth, at last I live,

I WANT NOTHING BUT TO GIVE.