Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Path to Peace


There are many who helped to form my soul;
I've lost all contact with most of them.
It takes a great deal of spiritual energy
To nurture someone as a friend.

I have a sense of being quite blessed
By the many people who have let me in.
Hearts open to emotional give and take
Are how friends and soul mates begin.

I have a tendency to question most activity;
Before I join in, I want it explained to me.
There are those who follow and those who lead;
To understand my leaders is my need.

"A life unexamined is not worth living," may be true;
We must pay close attention to what we say and do,
And also closely watch others go about their day.
You learn a great deal when you have little to say.

And most people must need a person who will listen
It comes to where you'll hear people's confessions.
You don't have to seek this; you won't want to know
What people were ashamed to others show.

I have found quite recently that most don't know
The reasons for their beliefs or how they want to grow.
I was always aware of life's contradictions;
Revealing these alienated many of my family and friends.

I have no more illusions about the sanctity
Of words and actions meshing in our society.
The religious creeds aren't about what we do;
They're about how to recognize our own few.

The Ten Commandments were for the unity
Within the new people that had come to be.
We spout them, break them, and forgive ourselves,
But the harm we do, still in other souls dwells.

The Biblical history from the beginning of mankind
Was a cautionary tale of the results of being unkind.
Until we are ready to make ourselves vulnerable, 
We'll continue in the fear with which our hearts are full.

Fear begets hatred of what we don't understand;
Common language and values are needed in a clan.
Our scriptures have become a Tower of Babel,
Creating excuses and fear, instead of living the rules.

Abraham's people still believed in blood sacrifice.
Moses wrote many of laws for how to be like The Christ.
The people condensed the laws down to the basic twelve,
In which they felt their people could peacefully dwell.

There continued to be much dissension in the ranks;
A Jewish leader came, for which I give thanks. 
He proclaimed that the fighting was to cease;
Only two basic laws were needed to make peace.

If we follow the laws of Divinity with our full souls,
Compassion for other people will make us whole.
Not to all had the grace of pursuing peace been sent,
So he did not break the laws of earthly government.

He allowed himself and the two thieves to die,
In keeping with the laws of earth that did apply.
He also allowed Judas to take his own life.
Was this to keep his disciples from vengeful strife?

He left a message with all of us, Gentile and Jew;
He had shown us the only way to a peace that is true.
By living lives that support earthly harmony,
Missionaries and martyrs for justice show this to me.

This is living "Sacred Scripture" happening in our lives;
We must put all need for different creeds aside.
In each others' actions, there are many bits of The Christ
Following the path to peace, we, our own blood, sacrifice.












1 comment:

  1. I miss the ones who formed my early thoughts and attitudes. I was very fortunate to have what I think were the best. An active father and a caring loving mother who could calm dad, if he got worried.

    The 10 commandments were only common sense and are still good for laws and direction today. The only one that gives me hesitation is the Sabbath, when is it what to do with it? I guess I will take Sunday and do the best I can!

    Love from Maine
    Oh well, 9 out of 10 ain't bad.

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