By Kelly Pelton (written 29 Jan 2020)

This role play feels like child's play, people.
All-male leaders in the institution
during prosperous times is "respectable."
Fairness will result from persecution,

risking our lives to proclaim God's great love
with Christian co-ed cooperation,
no concern for who gets to be leader,
only to reach out to every nation,

women and men seeing each other as friends,
no power to cause any competition,
church underground with no worldly prestige,
allegiance to Christ viewed as sedition.

Then will we value each other's stories,
grasp of scripture, Holy Spirit wisdom,
teaching and counseling one another,
paying the price to serve in His kingdom.

Why not practice playing fair in his hour,
treasuring one another's ideas, gifts...
We all are God's children, precious to Him;
let's deepen love rather than widening rifts.