navwin » Archives » Open Poetry #47 » Looking for God (Villanille)
Open Poetry #47
Post A Reply Post New Topic Looking for God (Villanille) Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana

0 posted 2011-04-01 10:30 AM


I grabbed my backpack, went looking for God,
No, I had no idea where He would be,
Now I suppose some of you think that odd.

If asked I smile and say I am God's squad,
Some said I was cheeky, some said gutsy,
I grabbed my backpack, went looking for God.

I want to find Him, peel back his façade,
To those that called me crazy, I agree,
Now I suppose some of you think that odd.

I have questions for Him I need to prod,
Want to look Him in the eye, I won't flee
I grabbed my backpack, went looking for God.

Maybe you think I am a lightning rod,
To fret the one who opened the Red Sea,
Now I suppose some of you think that odd.

Why allow infants to suffer, my God?
That is the question, please answer for me.
I grabbed my backpack, went looking for God,
Now I suppose some of you think that odd.

~ OK, so what's the speed of dark? ~

© Copyright 2011 Jerry Pat Bolton - All Rights Reserved
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354
Listening to every heart
1 posted 2011-04-01 11:06 AM


Excellent!
JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
2 posted 2011-04-01 11:07 AM


Thank you, sunshine.

~ OK, so what's the speed of dark? ~

Lori Grosser Rhoden
Member Patricius
since 2009-10-10
Posts 10202
Fair to middlin' of nowhere
3 posted 2011-04-01 11:47 AM


Jerry, I agree with Karilea!
Lori

Dark Stranger
Member Patricius
since 2001-03-19
Posts 13631
West Coast
4 posted 2011-04-01 11:57 AM


um....isn't SHE the secretary of state?...kewl stuff JP
Margherita
Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236
Eternity
5 posted 2011-04-01 12:25 PM


You did a great job here, dear Jerry.

You might find it odd though, but I do not hold God responsible for or "allowing" the suffering of innocents ... but still I agree that we lack some important answers, maybe they will be given to us only in the future, in some other dimension.

Your beautiful Villanelle stirs our consciousness.

Love,
Margherita

JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
6 posted 2011-04-01 12:33 PM


Thanks, Lori.

DS! Hah! Good'n.

Ah, doesn't make sense that innocents, and I mean innocent children, Margherita, who have not learned to hate should be afflicted by dreaded diseases and abused by grownups. II plan on writing a script about that as soon as I finished the one I am writing. I will be looking for answers, not looking to blame.

~ OK, so what's the speed of dark? ~

Honeybunch
Member Rara Avis
since 2001-12-29
Posts 7115
South Africa
7 posted 2011-04-01 03:51 PM


Yes, good job, Jerry!  Maybe we have to return to God before we can find him?  I'm sure there is a "big picture" that would explain the ways of mankind but, unfortunately, we can't yet see it.

Helen

ethome
Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858
New Brunswick Canada
8 posted 2011-04-01 04:43 PM


Man's done it to himself Jerry
Can't blame God!
If man didn't do it to himself then he's just a puppet and not a free moral agent.
That would mean God is evil and that really doesn't work in a reasoning mind.
James 1: 13
James 3: 15 - 18

Great to see ya thinkin. When the Bible says we're made in God's image that means we can manifest his qualities not that we look like him after all he's an invisible spirit being. His qualities of love, joy, peace, long suffering, mildness, goodness, faith, self control etc.
Not God's fault if man doesn't make use of these qualities.
We have a tendency to humanize God too much when we require a face to face meeting with him.
Exodus 33: 20
John 1: 18
People get so upset with terrible things happening in the world today they want to blame someone so they blame God.
God creates no evil but his free moral creations can chose to do good or evil/bad things.
It's an old story but it's there.
But the Bible does talk of a time when God will get rid of wrongs in this world. Has his own time schedule according to PS 37: 27 - 29
Tough subject I know but a good one.

Love your probe into this.

Eric


JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
9 posted 2011-04-01 05:13 PM


Eric, James 1:13 doesn't address the question in my way of thinking, not even close. I'm not talking about God being tempted with sin.

Again, James 3:15-18 only speaks of the "wisdom" of Heaven which is merciful and good. Nowhere in that can I find anything which is close to why children are subjected to the horror that they are.

The rest of the chapters are the same, in that they praise the glory, and say we cannot see His face. There are a number of references about none seeing His face. That means nothing to me in regard to my original question.

Psalm 37:27-29

27 Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land
and dwell upon it forever.

Finally a reference to children. If I understand this correctly He says that the children of the wicked will be cut off. Cut off from what? And why so if they are but mere children? This even exacerbates my original thought.

Thanks, Eric, for taking the time to put fort your comments, but I have to be honest, I'm as confused, maybe more, than I was before I began.

~ If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly. ~

ethome
Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858
New Brunswick Canada
10 posted 2011-04-01 07:46 PM


Sorry Jerry
You told me one time that you knew the Bible well so I thought you were taking the all the Bible accounts into consideration right from the beginning. That's why I jumped into the middle.

AFTER a terrible battle in one war-torn land, the thousands of civilian women and children who had been killed were buried in a mass grave surrounded by markers. Each marker bore this inscription: “Why?” Sometimes that is the most painful question of all. People ask it sadly when war, disaster, disease, or crime takes their innocent loved ones, destroys their home, or brings them untold suffering in other ways. They want to know why such tragedies befall them.
Why does God allow suffering? If God is all-powerful, loving, wise, and just, why is the world so full of hatred and injustice?
Questions you are asking in this piece...
  Is it wrong to ask why God allows suffering? Some worry that asking such a question means that they do not have enough faith or that they are showing disrespect for God. When reading the Bible, however, you will find that faithful, God-fearing people had similar questions. For example, the prophet Habakkuk asked God: “Why is it that you make me see what is hurtful, and you keep looking upon mere trouble? And why are despoiling and violence in front of me, and why does quarreling occur, and why is strife carried?”—Habakkuk 1:3.
Did God scold the faithful prophet Habakkuk for asking such questions? No. Instead, God included Habakkuk’s sincere words in the inspired Bible record. God also helped him to get a clearer understanding of matters and to gain greater faith. God wants to do the same for everyone. Remember, the Bible teaches that “he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) God hates wickedness and the suffering it causes far more than any human does. (Isaiah 55:8, 9)
Why, then, is there so much suffering in the world? Your question regarding children...

People of various religions have gone to their religious leaders and teachers to ask why there is so much suffering. Often, the response is that suffering is God’s will and that he long ago determined everything that would ever happen, including tragic events. Many are told that God’s ways are mysterious or that he brings death upon people—even children—so that he can have them in heaven with him. As I quoted to you previously, though, God never causes what is bad. The Bible says: “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!”—Job 34:10.
You're not alone Jerry many people make the mistake of blaming God for all the suffering in the world? In many cases, they blame Almighty God because they think that he is the real ruler of this world. They do not know a simple but important truth that the Bible teaches. The real ruler of this world is Satan the Devil.
  The Bible clearly states: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) When you think about it, does that not make sense? This world reflects the personality of the invisible spirit creature who is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) Satan is hateful, deceptive, and cruel. So the world, under his influence, is full of hatred, deceit, and cruelty. That is one reason why there is so much suffering.
A second reason why there is so much suffering is that, mankind has been imperfect and sinful ever since the rebellion in the garden of Eden. Sinful humans tend to struggle for dominance, and this results in wars, oppression, and suffering. (Ecclesiastes 4:1; 8:9) A third reason for suffering is “time and unforeseen occurrence.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11) In a world without God as a protective Ruler, people may suffer because they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It is comforting for us to know that God does not cause suffering. He is not responsible for the wars, the crimes, the oppression, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer. Still, we need to know, Why does God allow all this suffering? If he is the Almighty, he has the power to stop it. Why, then, does he hold back? The loving God that many have come to know must have a good reason.—1 John 4:8.

To find out why God allows suffering, we need to think back to the time when suffering began. When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying God, an important question was raised. Satan did not call into question God's power. Even Satan knows that there is no limit to God’s power. Rather, Satan questioned God’s right to rule. By calling God a liar who withholds good from his subjects, Satan charged that God is a bad ruler. (Genesis 3:2-5) Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God’s rulership. This was an attack on God’s sovereignty, his right to rule.
Adam and Eve rebelled against God. In effect, they said: “We do not need God as our Ruler. We can decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong.” How could God settle that issue? How could he teach all intelligent creatures that the rebels were wrong and that his way truly is best? Someone might say that God should simply have destroyed the rebels and made a fresh start. But God had stated his purpose to fill the earth with the offspring of Adam and Eve, and he wanted them to live in an earthly paradise. (Genesis 1:28) God always fulfills his purposes. (Isaiah 55:10, 11) Besides that, getting rid of the rebels in Eden would not have answered the question that had been raised regarding God's right to rule.
   Consider an illustration. Imagine that a teacher is telling his students how to solve a difficult problem. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teacher’s way of solving the problem is wrong. Implying that the teacher is not capable, this rebel insists that he knows a much better way to solve the problem. Some students think that he is right, and they also become rebellious. What should the teacher do? If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? Will they not believe that their fellow student and those who joined him are right? All the other students in the class might lose respect for the teacher, thinking that he is afraid of being proved wrong. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem.
God has done something similar to what the teacher does. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Millions of angels were watching. (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) How God handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. So, what has God done? He has allowed Satan to show how he would rule mankind. God has also allowed humans to govern themselves under Satan’s guidance.
The teacher in the illustration knows that the rebel and the students on his side are wrong. But he also knows that allowing them the opportunity to try to prove their point will benefit the whole class. When the rebels fail, all honest students will see that the teacher is the only one qualified to lead the class. They will understand why the teacher thereafter removes any rebels from the class. Similarly, God knows that all honesthearted humans and angels will benefit from seeing that Satan and his fellow rebels have failed and that humans cannot govern themselves. Like Jeremiah of old, they will learn this vital truth: “I well know, O God, that to earthling man his way does not belong. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.”—Jeremiah 10:23.

These children you're writing about are a result of man dominating man to his injury.
Besides, if God created humans in the first place he can bring back to life any humans, children or adults that he knows have been abused or victims of injustice. They will be fine and healthy......Revelation 21: 3 & 4

These discussions can be a little too involved for this open format but I don't think you and I are hurting much here.

Always a pleasure Jerry

Eric

true love never looks after it's own interests

JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
11 posted 2011-04-01 08:15 PM


I don't think I have ever told anyone that I "knew the Bible well," and if I did I flat out lied. I might have said I was raised up in a Baptist Church, and I have been instructed, as a boy, about the gospel by Sunday School teachers, preachers, etc. Truth was I was more into trying to kiss the girls than studying the scriptures. However, I know I have retained some of what was drummed into my head. but I can readily see that you know much more about the Good Book than I probably ever will.

I have to admit that the closest I have ever come to the answer to my question was from a preacher who is also on the Internet, but I can't remember his name just now. He put it this way, "God doesn't do evil, Satan does," a concept you touched on in your response. That satisfied me for about a day and a half, until I thought, yes, Satan is the evil we encounter on earth, but when it comes to the terrible diseases children, little children suffer I couldn't help but ask myself why God didn't intervene, at least for the children. That, to me, would make Him the kind and caring God He is supposed to be.

Thanks, Eric. I do appreciate your considerable input into this question of mine. One of these days I will work it all out. I was planning on writing a novel with this question as its plot, but now that I'm into script-writing I will have to try to do it that way. One thing, I will never stop looking until I'm gone or am satisfied with an answer I can live with.

~ If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly. ~

ethome
Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858
New Brunswick Canada
12 posted 2011-04-01 08:26 PM


If he intervened Jerry before man runs his course then he would be accepting the rebels as victors. Just like the teacher in the class.
Those children are only a temporary injustice. An all powerful God will restore them to health in time without us imperfect little humans judging the time frame.
Yes, the terrible things going on in the world affect all of us and it hurts.
Takes a lot of faith to wait and that has to be cultivated by a careful study of the inspired word.
Like Jim Rohn the motivational speaker states, "If there's a book out there that you can read and apply to better your life and you don't do it, the who's to fault for that?"
Email me anytime you want to ask a question or start a discussion.

Take care

Eric

true love never looks after it's own interests

dreamgal
Member
since 2011-03-17
Posts 442

13 posted 2011-04-01 09:02 PM


Jerry,

I dont claim to know the bible. Im just offering a very simple few words, I can totally relate to what your saying about the children. I can understand your fustration, I dont understand too much of the whys either. And what Eric says makes some sense too. Just wanted you to know that your not alone, in your thinking thats all.


Dreamgal

JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
14 posted 2011-04-01 09:47 PM


Thank you, Eric. I do appreciate the time and effort you have given this question of mine more than you might realize.

Dreamgal, thank you for your input. It was nice of you to stop by, it is greatly appreciated.

~ If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly. ~

Balladeer
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-05
Posts 25505
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl USA
15 posted 2011-04-01 09:56 PM


Idon't claim to know the Bible but I know villanelles. Yours are getting closer, Jerry. Keep up the good work.
JerryPat2
Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975
South Louisiana
16 posted 2011-04-01 09:57 PM


I'm trying, man.

~ If you don't want gays in the military, make the uniforms ugly. ~

Post A Reply Post New Topic ⇧ top of page ⇧ Go to Previous / Newer Topic Back to Topic List Go to Next / Older Topic
All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format.
navwin » Archives » Open Poetry #47 » Looking for God (Villanille)

Passions in Poetry | pipTalk Home Page | Main Poetry Forums | 100 Best Poems

How to Join | Member's Area / Help | Private Library | Search | Contact Us | Login
Discussion | Tech Talk | Archives | Sanctuary