To the young who still dream

To those who are honing their skill
To those who are learning to build
To those who are educating themselves
To those who are practising
To those who are kind
To those who protect others
To those who help their parents
To those who help their family
To those who are not greedy for things

I have witnessed your kind souls
I have seen your love of peace
I have watched quietly with hope

You who set down your toys for tools
And turned off the tv for books
And use media rather then be used
And express your ideas
And display your talents
And seek knowledge
And desire understanding
And wish to build a better world
And seek not to harm anyone
While seeking to do what is right

Yes your efforts are not in vain

You who are of such
Will be the next leaders of our world
This is what is before you

For the world that was
Shall not be any longer

Men are rising against men
Nations are rising against nations
Countries are against their own people
Churches are deceiving their flocks
Lies have become truth
And truth has been quieted with force

Many have turned to the bottle
Many have turned to drugs
Many have turned to greed
Many have turned to violence
Many have turned to lawlessness
While a great many youths
Have given up doing anything at all

This is all part of the transition
So that the world will be dependant
Rather than free
So that you will feel hopeless
So that you cannot grow
So that you cannot build
So that you cannot have a voice
So that you cannot have choice
So that you will question
WHY to even try!

It is how a civilizations path ends
And a new one begins

But you have not given up
Nor have you lost faith
Even while surrounded
By mass cynicism and apathy

And when the wars are overtaken
And when the famine touches us all
And when disease has shaken us
And when many have been lost
Who shall be left to lead?

Who shall have skill?
Who shall have talent?
Who will rebuild what was torn down?
Who shall guide what to do?
Who shall know history?
Who will have knowledge
And understanding and wisdom?

Only you who are of peace
Will be left to carry on
Where the men of business left off
And the men of war perished
And the men of force fall away
And the world will need help

For the children of whining
And entitled egomania
And crying out for lawlessness
Will have nothing to offer
They will require leaders of worth

For you see now the result
Of leadership without wisdom
And law without compassion
And force without justification
Indeed that also is part of the transition

So to you who strive for better
Keep striving

Continue to seek and to grow
To learn and to experiment
To try and fail and try again
To go forth with courage
And present with enthusiasm
To share with us all what you find
And never give up your dreams

For life has not been what you have seen
Yet you still have known love within
And still seek to give love without
For this, shall you be of great worth
And of such even you shall know

I will end simply with this
A time is coming
when all that is good
Will be restored upon the earth
And all that is just
Will be brought forth
And all goodness and wickedness
Will be revealed to all
And you who strive for goodness
Will stand clean and unshaken

Man has distorted the love of God
And God is the origin of love
The very love you have
Man has taught fear, not love
Listen not to fear
But listen always to love
For in doing so shall you see
And by desiring to give
Shall you receive far more

Choose your close friends wisely
Be as a band of brothers
And take council often together
Encourage one another always
Defend all who are in need

I am inspired by your care
And pray always you never give up

Ryan o0o