Inappropriate Response

Inappropriate Response
By Larry Linville

Telephone rang – I said, “Hello.”
A woman spoke – she wasn’t human
I was listening to a machine.
She could save me some money.
Who doesn’t want to save?
Only 6% interest on my credit card.

Red flags were flying.
Is she phishing?
Does she want my identity?
My defenses stood up like quills on a porcupine.
“If you want to hear more, punch number nine”
Will they rip me off?
“If you want removed, punch eight.”
I learn – even if it’s slowly
So I punched that number eight.
“That was an inappropriate response” she said.
Selections were repeated.
One again I chose number eight.
One again – “an inappropriate response.”

As I ended this call I wondered
Is this like the messages of the church?
Do they choose the right words and right answers?
If they make the wrong choice do they lose?
How many people don’t say what we want
And we tell them they are inappropriate?
Is it the things that they say?
Or the way that they look?
Do they just not fit in?

Jesus always gave people a choice --
Even when they were wrong
He said, “you are not far from the kingdom..”
If his kingdom is to come as he said in that prayer
It won’t be done by controlling their thoughts.

© Copyright 2007 Larry Linville (UN: larrylinville at Writing.Com).
All rights reserved. Larry Linville has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work