Will the simplicity of loving my neighbor communicate everything I want to tell the world about Jesus? Will it communicate the same to me? It seems too small, and my particular love seems especially too small. Can love be enough? Jesus says so, but wondering never hurt. This is a bit of a ditty with all it’s “rhymes with cheer” and “enoughs.” I wrote it at Camp Men-O-Lan on a retreat with the Leadership Team of Circle of Hope. Our agenda was loving each other as we enter our next era of leadership, and Circle of Hope’s Daily Prayer that morning had a quote from Teresa of Avila that I wanted to be true:

The surest way to determine whether one possesses the love of God is to see whether he or she loves his or her neighbor. These two loves are never separated. Rest assured, the more you progress in love of neighbor the more your love of God will increase.” — Teresa of Avila

You can hear me reading the poem on Soundcloud here.

https://soundcloud.com/benjamin-white-24/enough-of-love-a-poem-by-ben-white

Enough of Love?

Wondering if love can be enough–
Real enough, in-gear enough
To make the Presence clear enough–
Of God’s Come-Near-Us-Son?

If my little love coheres enough?
Have I made him our dear enough?
Do I revere enough
To heed my Peerless-One?

Wondering if I’m sincere enough,
When loving all those near enough,
To my expanding sphere enough,
To please my Dearest-One?

And will those I love have ear enough?
See him as premier enough?
Escape the cavalier enough
To open up and hear The-One?

Wondering if my heart appears enough
To see his eyes come clear enough–
Lifting us from drear enough.
To glimpse the Eyes-of-Care

Can I allow this love to steer enough?
Can I persevere enough?
Can he cast out my fear enough
For me to trust the Prize We Share?

Thanks for reading. I’d love your feedback.