Agenda, of a believer

I don’t know you,
I don’t know how you look like,
How you dress, and how you talk.
Where you live and what you do.

If I say,
“When you are genuinely in need, I will help you”
Will you believe me? Will you doubt me?
Will you think I have an agenda to fulfill?

If I tell you,
“I have no agenda, and I need nothing in return”
Will you think to yourself,
“She must have done something wrong and wants to atone for her sins”?

Why do you think that way?
Because everyone is selfish, you may say.
But why should we all be selfish?
Because our culture has taught us such gibberish.

Then I finally admit,
“I actually do have an agenda …”
And you immediately shout “I knew it!”
Before I open my mouth to utter

The word “agenda” has acquired
A negative connotation in our society.
Agenda must be selfish, agenda must be evil
Agenda must be something to advance the entity

But seize the thought and hold your tongue,
Look before you decide,
And listen before you judge.
Only after looking and listening, can you take sides.

I have an agenda, just not a selfish one.
My agenda is to love my neighbours including strangers,
My agenda is to do what’s right and not what’s fun,
And my agenda is to ask you to do the same for others.

Before you jump to the conclusion,
I’ll tell you I’m nowhere near perfection.
I have moments of greed, I have selfish thoughts.
I try not to act upon them, because I cannot.

We are not perfect, we are not saints,
So controlling ourselves is all we can
Resist being selfish, resist our greed
And love and righteousness shall be our creed.