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WindWalker
Senior Member
since 2001-10-12
Posts 1218


0 posted 2007-02-21 03:11 AM


Give my soul back to God?
Preposterous - some will exclaim.
Ridiculous - others will maintain.
Who cares? Would be another’s comment.
Why do such a thing? Why?

It’s a beautiful sunny day –
I’m walking silently in the high mountains
and my mind is full of thoughts:
Some pleasant, some deep and troubling
and that strange idea my friend brought up –
to give my soul back to God –
seems to haunt my every step.

What does that entail,
giving my soul back to God?
Well, what is a soul?
What purpose does it serve?
How would one go about this strange process
of returning the thing, anyway?

I have to assume that the soul
is man’s connection to God;
that it is “given” to man by God
but still belongs to God – no one else.
It’s God’s hidden mike and surveillance camera
into my very psyche.  A “bug”; a plant,
an implant, perhaps even a virus.
It is the guarantee that man will never cease
wondering about God,
in acceptance or rejection but never oblivious.
It is the guarantee that God – in whatever form
will always control man’s life and destiny.

That being said – and basically accepted –
all that remains is getting rid of this thing.
So I go to God (via the thing, of course)
and I state the obvious (He knows my thoughts)
and wait for His answer: A bit surprising –
“I’ll take it back, of course, since that’s your desire.
I can’t violate your free will (That’s God talking –
I won’t say I agree with his statement)
“But Earth is my planet and you’re on it
so you’re still under my jurisdiction here.

I’ll make you a deal, take it or leave it:
Work for me – do those things my own people
have forgotten I want done.  Simple things –
the kind of things my Son asked them to do once,
like caring for widows and orphans,
loving all life; exhibiting compassion.
Promise you will do that while you’re here
and I won’t trouble you, now, or ever.”

Funny thing, isn’t it? Now I have no soul
I can be all the good things I once thought
would never be possible for me.  And why?
Simply because now, it’s my idea, see?
I made a promise and I intend to keep it.

© Copyright 2007 Sharran WindWalker - All Rights Reserved
aziza
Member Elite
since 2006-07-09
Posts 2995
Lumpy Oatmeal makes me Crazy!
1 posted 2007-02-21 03:27 AM


Wow, you tackle a lot in this poem and you present your thoughts so well.  You have me thinking and I may be back with another response.  For now, I wanted to say how happy I am that I stopped by before bed.  

Thank you.

A

LeeJ
Member Patricius
since 2003-06-19
Posts 13296

2 posted 2007-02-21 10:51 AM


amazingly engrossing

loved the conversation between you two

“But Earth is my planet and you’re on it
so you’re still under my jurisdiction here.


loved this

The Lady
Member Rara Avis
since 2005-12-26
Posts 7634
The Southwest
3 posted 2007-02-21 09:50 PM



incredible WindWalker!


Stephanos
Deputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Elite
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618
Statesboro, GA, USA
4 posted 2007-02-23 11:06 PM


Nice flow of words, but there are many contradictions in the poem, that challenge the coherence of it all.  Of course, there's always the possibility that you intended this incoherence?


For example:
quote:
It (the soul) is the guarantee that God – in whatever form
will always control man’s life and destiny.

That being said – and basically accepted –
all that remains is getting rid of this thing."



If that is really what the soul is, and there is an acceptance that God will "always control man's life and destiny", then why the insistence on getting rid of it?  Seems more like resentment than acceptance?  


quote:
Promise you will do that while you’re here and I won’t trouble you, now, or ever.

and ...

Now I have no soul I can be all the good things I once thought would never be possible for me.  And why? Simply because now, it’s my idea, see?


Here you said it was God's urging.  But, how is it then "your idea"?


And what would be so good about mechanically doing things merely to "get God off your back"?  If you truly love what is good and desire it for goodness sake, then you are desiring God, and have not altogether lost your "soul".  Of course you may be accurately describing the conclusion of those who "work" for salvation, rather than depend upon mercy and grace?    


I assure you that being concerned about widows and orphans, and loving life, doesn't amount to forgetting God or having no soul.  At the best it describes an alluring attaction, and at the very least, the "haunting" that you described.


Just some thoughts,


Stephen.    

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