Where was god?

[Biggus]

When Haiti shook
And the old colonial
Structures fell
Who was to blame?

When the rains fell on Madeira
Making rivers of mud
Where once were roads
Who was to blame?

When earthquake and tsunami
Wreaked their havoc
On Chile’s coast
Who was to blame?

The zealots speak of God’s wrath,
Divine retribution
Against the wicked of the world
Smiting the transgressors
But it’s not the wicked who suffer
It’s the most humble and devout
The poor and the needy
Who suffer the most
Why would God do such a thing?
What would be gained?
It’s not a Godly act
But rather that of a tyrant
That’s not what my God would do
My God is a loving God
Not a wrathful being

The secular blame God
For not stopping natural disasters
They don’t believe in him
But blame him anyway
Where was God?
What was God doing when he was needed?
When something wonderful happens
They praise nature’s ingenuity
Yet when tragedy strikes
It’s “where was God?”
God is not to blame
It is not within his power to prevent disasters
So he does what he can
He comforts and supports
Eases suffering and ends pain
But my God is not to blame

Mother Nature is the culprit
The planet is angry with mankind
And unleashes these acts of spite
To punish us for our indifference
Mother Nature roars
And defines our insignificance
When the earth moves
And mountains split
When winds tear up all before them
And the seas rise up
We are powerless
But we are not alone
When we are at our most vulnerable
Who do we call upon? God
Whoever that God might be
Mine is an understanding God
A compassionate God

[Hawkman]

I think this is pretty good, Biggus, a compelling read and well made point. Best, H

[Scheherazade]

Please note that this section of the Forum is especially for poetry, not for religious discussions.

If you would like to comment based on poems' artistic merits, please feel free to do so.

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[RaoulDuke]

Although I'm not a church-goer myself, I recently went to the baptism of a relative where the minister gave an address on exactly the same subject as your poem - it's funny how these little coincidences pop up. Overall, it's a hearty thumbs up from me, but here's a Gordon Brown "Good News sandwich":



Mother Nature roars
And defines our insignificance


I love this line; it's my favourite from the poem - really beatiful.


When winds tear up all before them
And the seas rise up

Not so much this. It's a small niggle, but the use of "up" twice in succession spoils it for me.


We are powerless
But we are not alone

With or without the relgious connetations this is a lovely sentiment.

[MorpheusSandman]

Honestly, this piece is both too contemporary and too didactic for my tastes. Honestly, I could see this being something a preacher would say in a sermon. I can practically hear the voice in my head and picture him up at the podium punctuating the final lines with "Hallelujahs!" and "Amens!".

[Biggus]

Thank you all for your comments

[dizzydoll]

I prefer your joke poems. :biggrin5:

[Biggus]

Thanks Diz
Me too but I don't want to be a one trick pony

[hack]

I like it Biggus. I agree with some of the criticism above, particularly the detailed editing that RaoulDuke implies. I don't know that the "Anger of Nature" metaphor holds for me. It seems evidence of, at most(best?), a disinterested God, more intent on a mountain than a man...peace...

[PrinceMyshkin]

I don't know where or whether God was but I can imagine an alternate version of Genesis 3.9. In the original, having eaten of the forbidden fruit, Adam & Eve hear the voice of God in the Garden. They hide, but when they hear God call out,"Where art thou?" they emerge from hiding.

In the alternate version, the roles are reversed. It is Adam & Eve in the garden who call out, "Where art thou" and God who comes out of hiding, naked before them.

[Biggus]

Thanks Myshkin