"Opened"

It's been a while
Since we've been back from Jackson
But I'll tell you what,
We haven't been relaxin'.

Before heading to the South,
I was totally blind,
I saw with my eyes,
But not with my mind.

Oppression exists,
But I hadn't seen it,
I didn't stop it
Or go in between it.

It's amazing how
One can never see
The sin that surrounds.
That sin is in me.

I am the oppressor,
But I did not know,
That just by messin'
This oppression would show.

Preparing for this trip,
We learned the facts.
We can stop this oppression
By changing our acts.

But I was still blind,
What could I do?
Just learning about it
Would not make me new.

So I went on this trip
And opened my eyes
To see the oppression,
That in front of me lies.

The blindness was gone
All became real
What was once overlooked,
Was now a big deal.

The putting down,
Tearing others apart,
The gossiping
Are what tear at the heart

Pride, selfishness, and racism,
Are all things that get in the way
From seeing this oppression,
That we have made okay.

But now that I see,
There is no excuse,
I am no longer blind
I must put my eyes to use.

This regaining of sight,
Must be taken back,
To Ontario Christian,
Where eyesight we lack.

But how can I do this?
This overwhelming task.
First I must recognize my sin,
And take off my mask.

Doing the hard thing
Isn't always fun.
But if we do it together,
We do it as one.

So with that community,
We must do what is right.
We can take off our masks,
And restore our sight.

by: Chad Westenbroek