(It is taking me a ridiculous amount of time to read Little Women but there are so many layers to Louisa May Alcott's writing so I meander rather than race through pages...)
According to the talkers of today we are deceived
Insisting God is not Supreme like forefathers believed
And that belief in Jesus is akin to fairy-tales
While morning pours from Outer Shores to More’s uplifted
grails
According to the talkers we are wiser now than they
Who sought a Higher Power; they see no reason to pray
But scoff that holy sacrament and toss God to the street
While bud to bloom unfolds from ordained holds beneath our
feet
According to the talkers we are shells without a soul
Then what is faith, hope, love and trust if death is living’s
goal?
The intellect of godless fools like blind leading the blind
Insists there really are no rules for hapless humankind
According to the talkers we are gods, this world a throne
The kingdom-power-glory something everyone can own
And never mind the rhetoric of hell or heaven-joys
According to the talkers satisfied by word-wise noise
…while floodgates holding morning spill and fill night’s
dark with light
To Existence, a mere coincidence of science; right?
While Reason seeds and feeds the needs from sustenance of
sod
According to the talkers creed, today we don’t need God
© Janet Martin
A local council has opted for 'a moment of silence' rather than prayer at their council meetings...one speaker reported that he expected a far stronger opposition to the suggestion than they got, and 'it's really no big deal!'
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and
when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
