COMMANDING RESPECT
I once followed a pastor
Because his insights were
Most revelatory and new
And he commanded a certain
Kind of respect that drew me
To the safety of his
All-knowing wisdom.
I felt so many illusions
Dissipate from whence they came.
Noticed too that all the precious
Reverence for God and his Son
Was fast departing as well.
Dear friends, don’t get sucked in
To a brand new idol worship.
The Holy Spirit of
Almighty God is capable
Of talking to you quite directly
Up to and until You start
To command respect.

[For my ESL friends: “command respect” generally has a very positive application. However I’m deliberately using it here to denote man’s taking the issue too far, taking it upon himself when it is the purview of God; used like ‘demand’.]