Don't judge

Haiku responding to Rom 14:1-12

Dietary rules

are not a concern for those

of a mature faith.

Extend a welcome

to those who are weak in faith,

don't quarrel with them.

Some eat anything,

others only vegetables;

don't judge each other.

God welcomes them all,

so don't judge people by what

foods they choose to eat.

The same with holy

days; observe or don't observe,

do it for the Lord.

It's not for ourselves

that we live, or that we die;

we belong to God.

Christ died, lived again,

that he might be Lord, of both

the dead and living.

When we pass judgement

we despise each other. God

judges each of us.

Ev'ry knee shall bow

before God, and ev'ry tongue

shall give praise to God.

We are not to judge.

Each of us must give account

of ourselves to God.

© Ken Rookes 2026

Love must be real

Haiku responding to Rom 12:9-21

Love must be real.

Hate the things that are evil,

hold fast to the good.

Love one another.

Compete with each other in

acting with honour.

Don't lag in zeal,

let your spirit be ardent

as you serve the Lord.

Rejoice as you hope,

be patient in affliction,

don't give up on prayer.

Support each other

financially; show strangers

hospitality.

When people oppress,

offer blessings. Yes, bless them,

and do not curse them!

When people rejoice,

rejoice with them, when they weep,

join your tears with theirs.

Live in harmony.

Try not to be arrogant;

mix with the lowly.

Don't repay evil

with evil. Act nobly, be

a good example.

If it's possible,

as it depends on you, live

peaceably with all.

Do not seek revenge;

vengeance is the Lord's concern.

Let God sort it out.

If your enemies

are hungry, feed them; if they

thirst, give them a drink.

Don't be overcome

by evil. Rather, defeat

it by doing good.

© Ken Rookes 2026

No distinction

Haiku responding to Rom 10:5-15

Moses gave us law,

writes Paul, but it is faith that

brings us righteousness.

Forget heaven and

the abyss; the word of Christ

is close to you, here.

Confess with your mouth,

believe in your heart: Jesus

is our risen Lord!

Believe and confess

Jesus as Lord; righteousness,

salvation are yours.

There's no distinction;

Jew, Greek, God is lord of both,

saving ev'ryone.

Ev'ryone who calls

on the Lord's name will be saved.

But how will they hear?

How are they to hear

without someone who will come

to proclaim good news.

How will they proclaim

unless they're sent. Beautiful;

those who share good news!

© Ken Rookes 2026

For their sake

Haiku responding to Rom 9:1-5

Apostle Paul speaks

truthfully of the anguish

he feels in his heart.

Paul's conscience confirms

his pain, the Holy Spirit

stirs his deep feelings.

Paul wishes he was

accursed and cut off from Christ,

for his people's sake.

They are Israelites,

the covenants are theirs. Law,

God's promises, too!

Brothers and sisters,

Paul's flesh and blood, are missing 

out on God's promise.

He came, one of them,

according to the flesh; Christ

the Lord over all.

God's plan all along,

says Paul. Oh, that my people

would come, receive it!!

© Ken Rookes 2026

If God is for us

Haiku responding to Rom 8:26-39

The Spirit helps us;

we are weak we do not know

just how we should pray.

Spirit intercedes

with deep groans when words fail us.

God understands groans.

Things work together

for those who love God, who are

called. (But not always!)

We who have been called

are bearers of Christ's image.

We are justified!

If God is for us

there can be none against us.

Who would dare condemn?

In all our suff'rings

we are more than victorious

through him who loved us.

Nothing; death nor life,

rulers, powers, height, depth, can

keep us from God's love.

In all creation,

nothing can part us from God's

love in Christ Jesus.

© Ken Rookes 2026

No Condemnation

Haiku responding to Rom 8:1-11

No condemnation

now for those who are in Christ;

freed through the Spirit.

The Spirit of life

in Christ Jesus sets you free

from the law of death.

God has done what Law,

made weak through damaged flesh, was

unable to do.

God sent his own Son

in the guise of sinful flesh

to straighten out sin.

Law has been sorted

for us. We walk not as flesh,

we live through Spirit.

Those who live by flesh

are focused on flesh; the flesh

is the way of death.

Live by the Spirit!

Think upon the Spirit; this

leads to life and peace.

The mind set on flesh

is hostile to God; such as

these cannot please God.

You are not of flesh.

Since God's Spirit dwells in you

you're in the Spirit.

Without the Spirit

we do not belong to Christ.

But Christ is in you

The body is dead

because of sin; the Spirit

gives life, makes righteous.

God who raised Jesus

from death, gives your bodies life,

gives you his Spirit.

© Ken Rookes 2026

Who will rescue me?

 Haiku responding to Romans 7: 15 - 25

I don't understand

myself, struggle to do good;

I do things I hate.

I struggle under

law, no longer in control.

The sin in me rules.

In my fleshly self

there is no good. I want good

but I can't do it.

I don't do the good;

don't want to do the evil

I end up doing.

I cannot escape

the sin that dwells within me;

as if it's a law.

In my inmost self

I delight in God's law, but

my mind keeps losing.

I am a captive

of the law of sin that dwells

and rules my members.

I feel so wretched!

This body of death grips tight;

who will rescue me?

Yes! It is Jesus

Christ our Lord who rescues me!

I give thanks to God!

© Ken Rookes 2026

God's free gift

Haiku responding to Rom 6:12-23

So don't let sin rule

your bodies. Sinful desires

are to be refused.

Bring yourselves to God

as people who have been brought

from death's realm to life.

Sin has no power

o'er you; you're not under law,

you live under grace.

What then, should we sin

because being under grace,

we're not under law?

You were slaves to sin,

now, through the gospel, you are

slaves to righteousness.

Present your members

as slaves to righteousness, and

become sanctified.

When you were sin's slaves

you produced no useful fruits;

death became your end.

You've been freed from sin;

slaves of God, holy, destined

for eternal life.

Sin's wages are death.

God's free gift is life that's true,

through Jesus, our Lord.

© Ken Rookes 2026

By faith

Haiku responding to Romans 4:13 - 25

Abraham received

God's promise, not through the law;

'twas received by faith.

If the law could bring

God's gift of life, what's the point

of faith? Law brings wrath.

Where there is no law

there is no sin. God's promise

comes through faith alone.

It's all about grace.

To Abraham's descendants

God's promise is made.

I make you father

to many nations, said God

who makes all happen.

'Twas a foolish hope

to be father of nations

at his advanced age.

Nearly a hundred

with a barren wife; still he

hoped, trusting in God.

Growing strong in faith

Abe glorified God, never

wavering in faith.

Abraham trusted

in God; who thus considered

him to be righteous.

So with us; our faith

in God's saving acts through Christ

render us righteous.

© Ken Rookes 2026 

God has proved his love

Haiku responding to Romans 5: 1-8

Justified by faith

means that we have peace with God

through our Lord Jesus.

Jesus makes the grace

happen; this grace surrounds us,

we boast in our hope.

We are also proud

of our afflictions, knowing

they bring endurance.

Endurance leads to

character, then on to hope;

we boast in our hope!

God's love has been poured

into our hearts through God's gift:

the Holy Spirit.

While we were helpless,

when the time was right, Christ died

for those without God.

We don't give up life

cheaply: perhaps for a good

person, one might die.

God has proved his love.

While we were lost in our sin

the Christ died for us.

© Ken Rookes 2026

Peace with God

Haiku responding to Rom. 5:1-11

.We have peace with God.

By grace we receive, through faith

we are justified.

What a gift this is!

By grace we boast in the hope

of sharing glory.

From our afflictions

come endurance, character,

and finally, hope.

Our hope is from God,

whose love does fill our hearts, through

the Holy Spirit.

While we were helpless

Christ died for the ungodly.

That is unheard of!

God's love has been proved:

While we were still lost in sin

the Christ died for us.

Since we have now been

justified by his blood, we

are saved from God's wrath.

We were made God's friends

by his Son's death, so much more

we're saved by his life.

We boast of God's love

in Jesus Christ; through our Lord

we are reconciled.

© Ken Rookes 2026

Through faith

Haiku responding to Romans 4:1-5, 13 - 17

Good works don't make us

righteous, so Abraham was

justified by faith.

When you work, you're paid;

wages are not a gift, they're due

to he who earned them.

Works won't get us there,

we have to put trust in God:

God makes us righteous.

Righteousness is gift,

from the God who justifies,

it's received by faith.

If Law's adherents

are God's heirs, faith is nothing,

God's promise is void.

The Law is not what

makes us righteous, without law

sin doesn't exist.

God's promise of life

comes through grace to all who share

in Abraham's faith.

With Abraham”s God

the dead have life, and nothings

are made to exist.

© Ken Rookes 2026

All of us

 

Haiku responding to Rom 5:12-19

Because all have sinned.

Not just Adam, all of us

are destined for death.

Sin was before law,

but is not counted as sin

before there was law.

Death was always here.

Even righteous people died;

from Adam onward.

God's free gift is life.

Grace came to us through Jesus,

one man, for many.

God's grace through Jesus

brings forgiveness, righteousness;

death no longer reigns.

From one man's tresspass

death reigned; through one's righteousness,

life for everyone!

One man disobeyed:

we share in his sin; one man

obeyed, we're made right!

(Original sin?

There is no need for Adam;

we do it ourselves.)