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fractal007
Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958


0 posted 2001-01-02 02:09 PM


In green fields of Creation and pastures
Populated by deers, children, and pastors,
Came two men.  One was an atheist,
The other was a Christian.  Like masters
From hell, they yelled, hurled, and missed.

Now the children all cried when they
Saw that their dream of peace and gay
Celebration for all had been dashed.
And so, their minds began to sway
From good to bad.  Finally, they crashed.

The deers continued to frolic on high places,
Completely indifferent to the silly races
And peeing contests that ensued all around.
Both warriors tried to club them with maces,
Hurl rocks at them, but both missed, clean and sound.

The pastors just sat and swung at each other
With their Bibles.  Each told his mother
Of this, and called upon his father
To come beat, flog and torment the other.
They fought on, and forgot about their Father.


The atheist and the Christian each went his separate way.
The children lived in confusion, waiting for that final dawn.
The pastors just sat all day in caves, as most now say.
The dear children of God lived in peace, and frolicked on,
Until the coming of that holy and final day….



© Copyright 2001 fractal007 - All Rights Reserved
Lighthousebob
Member Elite
since 2000-06-14
Posts 4725
California
1 posted 2001-01-03 01:51 PM


In particular, the observers invovled in the pee(r)ing contest got my attention... I do feel sorry for those poor little deers.  Joking aside for a moment...  In my opinion, you have expressed in symbolism a mutual concern for the Christian community caught up in the brutal fight over doctrine rather than focusing on the true fight.... The battle for lost souls.  God Bless You my counselor friend,  Bob <><
fractal007
Senior Member
since 2000-06-01
Posts 1958

2 posted 2001-01-03 03:57 PM


Lighthousebob:

Thankyou for the compliments.  The deer represent the Christians who have faith in God.  I borrowed the symbol from Hannah Hurnard's Hinds Feet on High Places, a book I like quite a bit.  The deers also have freedom to just be themselves.  The children are so swept up in the teaching of dogma from a fundamentalist church, that they get confused when they see the atheist and the Christian fighting[these represent fundamental Christianity and militant atheism].  The clergy[Don't worry it's not a generalization] represent those religious dogmas that really have little to bear on our relationships with God.  So they argue about dogma in the Bible like children.

In the end, everybody ended up really messed up, except for the deer, which decided to be themselves in the name of God.  Because they were themselves, they got both atheist and fundamentalist mad at them.  However, in the end, they went with their hearts, which contained Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, not dogma.  

SO, I believe that in the end, this battle between the secular world and fundamental Christianity, will result in people getting very messed up and confused, unless their hearts are in the right place, like the deer.  We all need to try to be like the deer.

God bless.  

DYME
Member
since 2000-07-29
Posts 104
Texas
3 posted 2001-01-05 12:08 PM


You have truely told of how Christians in this world are now. As Christians, we should be bringing souls to Christ in his name and honor. But most of us are forcing people to give their lives to Christ simply because they say it's right. And so far, that method is only turning people away. You did a wounderful job in showing this. I think this poem deserves 2 thumbs up.

God Bless!!


NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME SHALL PROSPER... ISAIAH 54:17

Stephanos
Deputy Moderator 1 Tour
Member Elite
since 2000-07-31
Posts 3618
Statesboro, GA, USA
4 posted 2001-01-05 10:52 AM


Your poem has a lot of truth in it.  It reminded me of a few lines of a poem I wrote a while back...


The further I progress upon the road of understanding,
the more I come along this trail of truth and godly ways,
it seems to grow much clearer as the days and months and years advance,
the heart of God is what must be revealed for men to give Christ praise.
It’s really not through doctrines as important as we know they are.
for naked dogma can’t contain such boon and costly prize.
Though creeds are surely needed just like signposts for direction
to remember they are not our destination we would be most wise.

Thanks for sharing this creative and insightful poem.

sandgrain
Member Elite
since 1999-09-21
Posts 3662
Sycamore, IL, USA
5 posted 2001-01-07 11:41 AM


I thought of that book, I like too, reading the first few lines of your poem.  As my son once said, it isn't as much what people are told as how they see lives lived.  Our Father, it seems, must look at all this wrangling between His children, as a parent sees sibling rivalry.  Your insight is great.  Thanks for sharing it.  Rae
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