The first son said, ‘I will not’;
but later he changed his mind and went.
The second said, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go.
Which of the two did the will of his father?
—Matthew 21.28-31
They are not two, of course. I am both.
God, help me root deeply in you,
and let the sap of your grace flow through me,
that my outer self may grow organically
out of my inner self, the two selves one,
my actions in humble harmony with my inner truth.
Free me from pretense and the fear of appearances.
May my prayers give form to words and deeds,
my flesh obey my spirit,
both flowing from your love.
Amen.
—September 27, 2017