Swing In A Tree: God

Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Friday, April 14, 2023

"Everyone Lies"

She kneels before an all forgiving God

a supplicant asking for mercy

“Bless us, O Lord, for I have sinned”

sighs through her parted lips

A conniving bitch

manipulating

to get ahead

to break even

to fall in love

Her hair veils her face

light and shadow finger her expression

hollow out her downcast eyes

highlight the planes of her pale cheekbones

She prays for redemption and the strength to change

for God’s hand to guide her onto another path

But people don’t change

Her disease seeps into her joints like lupus

spreads through her organs

invades every cell

infects her life and world

So the tears shed before her Lord

David Chapman-artist

water and nourish nothing

Her vows of commitment to convert

remain unheard

by her God

For she’s forgotten her Golden Rule—

Everyone lies

Sunday, February 18, 2018

The battle cry of conservatives whenever slain children’s bodies hallow hallways, “Put God Back into Schools” mystifies me. For thirty-five years I’ve worked within the public-school systems. I’ve stood reverently through daily rituals of moments of silence and respectfully kept mute as faculty members and staff openly pray “in Jesus’s name.” I’ve watched students bow their heads before taking major exams and preach personal beliefs to their friends.

These people don’t understand that the business of public schools isn’t to proselytize. That responsibility lies with parents, family, communities—religious leaders. Many educators’ strong beliefs seep out of their pores. They may not sermon while in front of the classroom, but their religious agenda pervades and influences how they approach everything they do. Anyone observing within the public-school system knows that the students most oppressed are those with no faith.

I feel confused that anyone’s religion professes that if the Ten Commandments aren’t posted in the classrooms of public schools, the punishment of an avenging God is a logical result.

What kind of God do these people believe in?

Wednesday, June 25, 2014