By Stephanie Evelyn McKellar

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
- Philippians 2:5-7

Let the same mind be in us
But what did Christ
Understand
And plan
When he surveyed
The land
-scape
Of humanity
Around him?

Decentralized
Sharing power
Jesus steps down
From equality
Ready to empty
His power
For the sake of
Empowering
Us.

Let the same mind be in us.

What lenses does he use to view us?
See through us,
Discern opportunities
To imbue us
With compassionate eyes
Generosity of heart,
Boundaries that honor,
And perspective that mutualizes.

Poured out,
Share power
Instead of
Systemically devour
One another.
Though in the form of God
Jesus remained not
Entitled,
Do we remain
Stifled
From the pouring and filling
Of the Spirit among us
In what form
do we see Christ?
In human likeness
Strike this
Who gets
Excluded
Exploited
Emptied
Poured out,
Powerless?

Let the same mind be in us.

What can I give?
What’s right to give?
Jesus pours out
His God form
But what have we to give?
Already human.

Let the same mind be in us.

Some are so poured out
Water falls on thirsty soil
The life there
Already left for dead.
Pour out of the whole
Into the hole?
Energy
And attention-given,
Living
in this tension.

She gave him a cup of water.
Drained,
poured out
sitting with him
Being with,
filled
his cup
Despite him later spilling it
Upon himself.
But maybe what we need
Is to be bathed
In our own blessing;
The careless spilling
May stay longer with us.

Let the same mind be in us.

Pouring out
If I give money
What will he spend it on?
Who cares,
It is right
to give
And live
Generously.
Pouring out,
In giving
I am living
In abundance
Filled by
My own generosity,
Investing
In the mutual
Imago Dei.

Let the same mind be in us.

A witness hollers
In his anger:
“Nothing I can do!”
I know,
I say.
Me too.
But he asked,
Your friend asked
For you.
To be with
And stay with
To keep each other company,
On the way through.

Let the same mind be in us.

Let the same mind be in us,
Of the Christ
Who entrusts
To us
Care of each other.