“Keep them at a distance, seal the heart away
so that people won’t always have something to say.”

This is the declaration of the gossiped, the wronged, and the mistaken;
the unwitting casualties caught in the crossfires of scrutiny.

The accusers say it’s discernment when it’s really just judgement;
they say it’s concern when it’s actually control.
The whispers linger long after they have been spoken
and the critical stares remain imprinted on the soul.

Facts are twisted, incomplete,
and the self-proclaimed jury stand tall.
They neglect the Judge who sits on the mercy seat;
the Witness who sees it all.

With compassion, He states that He has been wrongfully accused too,
and the crowd may yell as much as they want,
but the truth remains true.

He says that a close friend sold Him out;
His community was as messy as could be.
“But if I refused the betrayal, there would be no cross;
forgiveness paved the way for victory.”

He leans in with a whisper, a secret, the answer,
“if you shut your heart away, you drain the life out of you.
Only love can balm the wounds
and heal the pain you try to subdue.”