We love labels, Jesus.
We parade them on our clothes and on our possessions
to make sure everyone knows
who we are
and what we’ve accomplished
They’re so useful, Jesus.
We use them to divide ourselves up
so that everyone knows where they fit in
where they belong
and where they don’t.
But, the truth is, our labels are heavy, Jesus.
We have to live up to them, and maintain the status quo they create,
we waste so much time working out who’s in and who’s out
who it’s OK to like
and who we need to shun
and beneath it all, we’re afraid that maybe one day
we’ll wear the wrong label and not realise it,
and suddenly we’ll be the ones who are outside.
So, there’s only one thing to do, Jesus.
It’s what you’ve wanted us to do all along,
We’re ripping off the labels, throwing them to the wind
and allowing the freedom of “labellessness” to claim us.
We need you to help us to do this, Jesus.
Not just for us, but for all people;
To help us forget our fascination with labels,
our need to classify and divide ourselves,
our fear of those who are different,
strange,
surprising,
challenging.
So that we can all find a way to live and love
in peace and freedom and equality.