We Are New Birth Missionary Baptist, and They Are Us

(And we are Bishop Eddie Long.)

We are the Zen Studies Society, and they are us.
(And we are Eido Shimano.)

We are the Archdiocese of Boston, and they are us.
(And we are Cardinal Law and his priests.)

We are New Life Church, and they are us.
(And we are Ted Haggard.)

We are the wards of Irish orphanages, and they are us.
(And we are the priests, brothers and nuns who ran them.)

We are the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn, and they are us.
(And we are Rabbi Baruch Lebovits.)

All my ancient, twisted karma
(and that "my" means "our," too)
Stemming from greed, anger and ignorance
(in every last one of their manifestations)
Arising in body, speech and mind
(in every nook and cranny and recess and organ)
I now fully repent
(and would ask everyone else to please do the same)