Allow me to vent.

Istanbul, Turkey

I am not scared.
I am awake.

I am not scared.
I am awake.

I am not scared.
I am awake.

If I hear,
one more time,
"Be careful,"
"Be safe over there in the Middle East,"
I swear,
I will scream.

I will scream
so loud that the reminder of a piercing ring
will keep you from your discouraging words and your sad,
fearful tune you continue to sing.

'Speak louder, Spirit'
I continue to pray
'Drown out their words, Spirit
I am not here to follow their way.'

Yes.
I walk the streets of the West Bank
and yes that is Palestinian land
But no,
I will not ask for your forgiveness for my Arab friends

Yes.
I have sipped tea from the hand of a Muslim man
But no,
Dear Christian,
I have not abominated the will of your God's great plan

And excuse me,
if I believe my Muslim friend is just as much a delight to our God, just as much
As me
and you

Because what precious creations have you ever given life to?
And if it were the work of your hand,
would you not love it with all of your might
and soul
and desire?

So don't say they are not His delight.

Don't give me your words of fear
because when I sit down and have tea with my Muslim friend,
the one who just opened his home and his love
and all his hospitality so that I feel at home...

There is no fear, there is only love.

But when I sit down with you,
Dear Christian,
And you lock the door behind us as we walk
into the comfort of your high-security alarmed home,
and you fill me with your lies and fears
and lies
that tell me certain people are too dangerous to love...

I ask,
Please spare me of your filth
Stop tainting my experiences with God's children
with your fears,
based on lies
of experiences you've never had.

I am not scared of lies you tell me.
I am awake to the reality of the Spirit.

I am not scared of the lies you tell me
I am awake to the reality of the Spirit

Let's talk when you are awake
and in touch
with the truth about our the creator
and his love for all, the creation

Let's talk when you make a friend
with the one you tell me to fear.

I am not scared.
I am awake.