“Much Ado About Contemporary Christianity” Pomp and circumstance: Like hype before a fight— Glittery, shiny things, candy coated, rose colored, eye catching, ear itching, prosperity promising, 80`s health and wealth, good life in this life; Fame oriented, `pabulum puking` pious platitudes. Neither hard nor right; The promised land without a fight. To have your cake and eat it, too. Happiness. Blessedness. No mess. No trial. No test. No need to do your best. Sinner`s prayer gets you there. No war to fight, only light. Like the grand facade on a vacant building. A crown without a cross; A cross without a crucifixion. Life without death. Glorification without humiliation. Birth without labor. From caterpillar to butterfly without struggle. Stoicism as heroism. Like a convenience store or sidewalk whore: Once a week, take a peek; Get a fix from a crucifix. Save us Jesus, from all of this ! A.B.Adams August 21, 2018 (Originally) Tuesday December 1, 2022 (Revised) Thursday
“Snatch `em Back”
“Dirt”
I have read that God made Adam
and by His Spirit gave him life;
then He took his rib
and made for him a wife.
The Potter got His clay
from the ground where which He found
as he formed and shaped the man
while Angels uttered not a sound:
I saw a very tall building
that seemed to scrape the sky;
it parted clouds though they did shroud
as it surpassed where eagles fly.
How majestic it did stand
as it rose above the earth;
yet beneath it all, I thought,
is only bedrock that`s old as dirt.
A flower it doth now grow
as it toils and as it spins;
Moreover, it endures
sun, rain and even wind.
Look beneath the surface
at those roots that reach way down
for they receive much life
from those nutrients in the ground.
An earthy-worm it wiggles
on an rocky but open road;
perhaps, a bate for fish
or food for frogs and toads.
But, in a pile of leaves,
cow manure and rotting sheaves;
You may find it`s home at most,
in this putrid pile of compost.
I saw a newborn baby
brought forth in joy and tears
its cry to me an opera,
like music to my ears.
Although the years will pass
with laughter, smiles and also hurt,
in the end you see my friend
for us all, it`s back to dirt.
You can carbon date it;
excavate it;
search for things,
but can not evade it.
A funny thing
where life begins—
this thing called dirt—
too, is where it ends ?
A.B.Adams
March 19, 2023
Sunday
As always, thank you one and all for taking your time to view and peruse the contents of this sight.
I hope and pray that you may have found it helpful.
A friend and mentor once said to me, “As with anything, we must learn to eat the meat and spit out the bones.” Hopefully, you found more nourishment here than trouble chewing…
Anyway, we are all in this thing called life together.
If it ain`t beautiful like a sunrise or starry night, or true, then it ain`t worth it.
Perhaps, what we need more than awards, degrees and financial security is a world view that helps us to make some sense of this time and place and give us a sustainable reason to hope. Hope is what gets us through. Hope is what helps us to endure.
And love. That is, a love that never dies, never ends, never gives up; that is as sure as the morning sun and dependable as the north star; as tender and gentle as an aging Grandfather and as fierce and strong as a jealous lover.
As for truth, there are all sorts of laws/principles in this world. In any field of study, I think, you will find this to be true. That said, just as there are laws/principles that govern our everyday life in the seen and temporal world, there are laws/principles that govern the unseen/eternal world.
If I have succeeded in expressing the aforementioned ideas to you through my illustrations and poems, or if my words or images comfort, encourage and/or enlighten you in any way, then I thank, Jehovah, our true Father through Jesus Christ our Lord; for only He can take an irritating piece of sand and make it into a pearl; only He can make a diamond out of a lump of coal. And, that is just what He can do with the ugly parts of our own lives–make something beautiful ! Even a balm to use to soothe the pain in others hearts.
Well, I won`t keep you any longer. You must have better things to do. However, please, if you please, stop by again. I`ll leave the light on for you ! お待ちしております。
Warm Fuzzies,
A.B.Adams, (Amended) February 15, 2025 Saturday