I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves both saint and sinner

The life long faithful - the death bed beginner

He loves the tax xollector and the tax evader

He loves Luke Skywalker and he loves Darth Vader

He loves the home of the free and the land of the brave

The poorest of the poor with child labor slaves

He loves those who are both pro-life and pro-war

Just as those who are pro-choice and for elevating the poor

Yes - I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves burnt orange and crimson red

He hooks’ em horns and flips’ em down

He loves the smiles of the victors

And the losers’ tears and their frowns

He loves good guys just as much as the enemy

He loves Steven Spielberg and he loves Ron Jeremy

He loves Obama and McCain and he still loves George Bush

He loves Osama and T. Pain and those who pull weight and kick-push

He loves the raging alcoholic

Just as the man who’s never touched a bottle

He loves the obese who can’t get out of bed

Just as much as the bulimic runway model

He loves left brained analyzers and right brained creatives

He loves immigrants with an accent just as much as the natives

He loves those with bank accounts and those who only fold cash

He loves those dressed in white and he loves Johnny Cash

Yes - I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers

He loves Irish Catholics and the Puritan Quakers

He loves Hip-Hop and he loves Rock’s Roll

He loves salsa - meringue - and R&B soul

He loves Garth Brooks and Stevie Wonder

Myley Cyrus and Jay-Z

He loves Reba McIntyre and the Jonas Brothers

N’Sync and Ice T.

He loves non-supernatural atheists

Just as Christians who live by the Bible

He loves Hindus - Muslims and Buddhists

Simon - Paula and American Idol

He loves communist China just as much as the U.S. of A.

He loves Sarah Palin and he loves Tina Fey

He loves Fidel Castro and Kofi Annan

He loves gumbo and etoufee -- egg drop soup and won-ton

Yes - I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves Dancing with the Stars

And the cow that jumped over the moon

He loves the great white hope Larry Bird

And the black hall of fame quarterback Warren Moon

He loves the Yankees and the Red Sox

The Steinbrenner’s and whoever owns Boston

He loves the Cowboys - and yes - Jerry Jones

No matter how much the new stadium cost ‘em

He loves the overachievers in life

And those who believe c’s get degrees

He loves the man who just won’t stop running

And the woman who prays for him on her knees

He loves Brittney Spears on stage

And Brittney Spears when she’s bald

He loves Michael Vick on the football field

And when the prison guard calls

Yes - I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves the black sheep in the family

And the pink elephant in the room

He loves the immorally tolerant

And the intolerably crude

He loves warm fur coats and the people at PETA

He loves steak and potatoes and vegetarian fajitas

He loves stone builders and those who cast the first stone

He loves Mother Theresa and he loves Sharon Stone

He loves those who sprint and those who can’t walk

He loves the eloquent speaker and those who don’t talk

He loves red-headed pastors and Jewish Rabbi’s

He loves those fervent in the congregation and

those who gossip and tell lies

Yes - I am in love with a hypocrite

He loves both saint and sinner

The life long faithful and the death bed beginner

The only thing he doesn’t like is the sin - but he loves the sinner

The only thing he dislikes is the sin - but he loves the sinner

As a matter of fact - he hates the sin - but he loves the sinner

Therefore - he is NOT a hypocrite - that’s what my ego calls him

He is NOT a hypocrite - though our culture expects him to choose sides

He is NOT a hypocrite - although he loves those we love and

he loves those we hate

Yes - he goes by many - many names - but has only one Son

Neither of them are hypocrites - they merely desire for us to be one.

-- Will Richey, December 2008

I am very proud to say I commissioned this poem from Will for our Advent Service in 2008. I am more proud to know Will and count him as a friend and brother. He is ridiculously gifted and every time we get a chance to do something together, I am always better for it. Many of you have asked for the text to the poem, so here you go!