Poetry Corner

Here is a small,but, hopefully, growing, collection of Christian poetry. The only criterion for inclusion is that the poem should reflect love for God and His creation. Poems of a 'messianic' nature are of particular interest for us.

Do you have a good poem? Send it and we'll consider it for inclusion.

What's the point of worrying?

by Isaac

It's now that time of year again, the season of goodwill
When we worship in the shopping malls, when we party until we're ill.
When we sacrifice our future for the heady rush of greed
Spend like there's no tomorrow, there's marketing campaigns to feed.
While churches lay ever emptier, in sad, neglected praise
The reason for the season just vanishes in the haze.
It's hard for us Church people, the world clutches us in its grip
The one whose birth we celebrate, we've slowly let him slip.
What's the point of worrying, the cosy family cry,
Bellies full to bursting on turkey and apple pie
It's a crying shame, reply the Church people,
These folk just don't get it, these folk are gonna die.

The papers are full of doom and gloom, it's the only thing that sells
We like our soap-stars bad and mean, we love public and private hells.
Wars are always far away, brought close in safe wide screen
Sandwiched between the adverts for Pepsi and Windolene.
What is truth, it's hard to tell, everyone claims a piece
Shame we seldom hear the Truth of the only Prince of Peace.
It's hard for us Church people, the world doesn't hear our voice
We do try to reach them, but, hey, they've made their choice.
What's the point of worrying, our TV generation say,
Minds pulped to porridge on Big Brother and all things realité
We take no blame, reply the Church people,
We know the true reality, but these folk go their own way.

Sin abounds all around as we slide down the slippery slope
We're offered countless pleasures and excitements, but absolutely no hope.
We gorge from a menu of sex and drugs, repeated again and again,
Feed the body with sensations, jam weird dreams into your brain.
We try to practice what we preach, but the flesh can show us our lack
When it does it's what the world sees, and our words are just thrown back.
It's hard for us Church people, the world just shuts its ears
We offer them a faith so dear, but they just wallow in their fears.
What's the point of worrying, we 're all just having fun
It really does you no harm, we're not hurting anyone.
We do our best, reply the Church people,
They should follow our saviour's example, these folk don't see the Son.

Scandals still happen, yet reputations remain intact
Standards are so low, still dropping, and that's a solid fact.
Politicians and entertainers just bounce back, shame is not felt
Morals give way to ratings and what's good for the money belt.
And oh if only this was where Church People could show a lead,
But more than often we hear, sorry, but we've got a flock to feed!
It's hard for us Church people, we try and show them what's wrong
We proclaim it from our pulpits, we sing it in heavenly song.
What's the point of worrying, there's no point fussing, too
Who are you to judge us, we see we're no different to you.
Yes, we're weak just like you, reply the Church people,
Just open your ears to our words, close your eyes to what we do.

"Isms" and philosophies, seem to make the world go round
While Islam holds us to ransom, in fear and tightly bound.
So many possibilities, this box of flavours for the soul
"Whatever makes you feel good" as we sample from the bowl.
"All religions lead to God" or "Jesus is the only way",
Please Church People, speak with one voice, what exactly do you say?
It's hard for us Church people, we must always be of open mind
Who are we to force our beliefs - just seek and you'll surely find!
What's the point of worrying, surely sincerity is our goal
What's in the heart is what matters, it's how we fill the hole
It's up to you really, reply the Church people,
Have mercy on their soul, oh Lord, have mercy on their soul.

Living in sin, how dated, how passé, everyone's doing it now,
We're 21st century people, you know, liberated from rites and vow.
No point in marriage these days, the cost and so restricting, too!
We've moved on from outdated traditions, we just do … what we do!
And anyway, Church people, you seem to be following our way,
Divorce, for some of you, now accepted, whatever your Bible may say!
It's hard for us Church people, in getting the balance just right
To be "in" the world, but not "of" is hard, sometimes we just lose sight.
What's the point of worrying, surely all you need is love
It's just how we live our lives, it just fits us like a big glove
It's your life to live, reply the Church people,
May the Lord forgive them, may they find mercy from God above.

Greed abounds wherever you look, power in the hands of the few
While dark strangers far away starve, we haggle in the market queue
Corporations plunder the environment, profiting from pollution
While governments shrug, it's "laissez faire", money's the only solution.
What's your answer, people of the Church, speak out against this sin
Or, like us, do you see it as just spitting against the wind.
It's hard for us Church people, how can we make a real difference
We can pray, I suppose, but the task is so huge, how can we go on the offence.
What's the point of worrying, is there anyone out there with a care
The strong will always exploit us, the weak will always be there
Sadly that's so, reply the Church people,
We must look at the return of the Lord, when all will be made true and fair.

It takes a special type to make a leader, these days we tend to find
They don't rise to the top of the pile through a heart that's tender and kind.
We trust them with our money, we trust them with our life
Yet they're just the political form of a mugger with a knife.
We look to you Church people, what's the quality of your leadership
Do we see humble servants or empire builders with an iron grip?
It's hard for us Church people, our leaders can still follow the flesh
But at least we forgive them and offer them a new start afresh.
What's the point of worrying, we get the leaders we deserve
It takes a will so strong, a lot of front, confidence and nerve
It's a sad situation, reply the Church people,
The blind leading the blind, just who do they really serve?

Wherever you look around, you see hatred and anger in constant growth
The seven sins spilling over into rivers of brotherly loathe.
Nation against nation, race against race, also families and faiths at war
We're just not programmed to get on, to fight seems what we're made for.
History shows you're not immune, Church people, how have you coped?
Have you learned to agree to disagree, has it gone as you'd once surely hoped?
It's hard for us Church people, so many traditions to hold together
You just don't know how hard it is just getting on with each other.
What's the point of worrying, human nature we just have to put up with
And do our best, where we can, to just live and let live
It's so terribly tragic, reply the Church people,
They're going to reap, one day, whatever they give.

Who do you really worship said the actress to the minister?
There's so much now on offer thanks to TV and mass media.
From the worlds of sports, film and music, we bow down at their feet
We buy all they put their name to, to keep our modern gods sweet.
Church people, do you have your idols, alongside the One you serve Lesser distractions maybe, that you worship with lesser verve?
It's hard for us Church people, keeping our eyes on the one we love
When the world pulls us this way and that, when push gives way to shove.
What's the point of worrying, we worship whoever we will?
Our lives are our own to do what we please, whether for good or for ill.
They just don't see it, reply the Church people,
An impossible job, it's like running up a hill.

And they call it the game of life but there's no laughter when
That fateful day arrives, the day of reckoning for men.
When, in a wink of the eye, the cosmos holds its breathe
And all, from old to young, learn the true meaning of death.
Church people, why on earth didn't you warn us, that the end would truly come?
Is this really him, we see in the sky, the one who has struck us dumb?
It was hard for us Church people, preaching when none of you would hear.
If you didn't listen, who's fault was it then, a church was always near?
What's the point of worrying, we can now see our destination?
Far from the love of the God we never knew, all we see is tribulation.
We did our best for them, declared the Church people
But our best, it seems, was not enough, so why the accusation?

So we reach that point in history, the parting of the ways,
Some are going heavenly, the others to hell in a daze.
Yet the debate continues, voices growing weaker, in a trance
"Why did you never warn us", cry the masses, "you never gave us a chance?"
Church people, before you disappear to your heavenly eternal reward, Please just answer us, if you warned us, how come we never heard?
But we did, you knew where we were, shouted the Church people
But you always were too busy ignoring us, never shaken, hardly stirred.
What's the point of worrying, too late after our terrible mistake?
Condemned to eternity, because of decisions we didn't make.
What else could we do, asked the Church saints?
You could have tried harder, replied God, weeping for his people's sake.