This poem of despair caught my eye when it was first submitted for publishing. All men have asked this question of God- but few ever open their hearts for the answer.
Eric Stokes has accurately, effectively, and beautifully captured our human cry to God- and His eternal and magnificent answer back to us.
Chandra McGuire
Creative Director
Abner Publishing
This poem is left untouched in all punctuation and formatting per the authors request- it was written as is to accentuate feeling and passion. Enjoy!
Eric Stokes has accurately, effectively, and beautifully captured our human cry to God- and His eternal and magnificent answer back to us.
Chandra McGuire
Creative Director
Abner Publishing
This poem is left untouched in all punctuation and formatting per the authors request- it was written as is to accentuate feeling and passion. Enjoy!
Why Don’t You Do Anything? your saints languish, oppressed, in north korea why don’t you do anything? witnesses for you die across Arabia why don’t you act? the world over, my brother, my sister, and I myself lie stranded in the glass of shattered dreams the shards ripping our hearts open – again the pain fresh and new every morning WHERE ARE YOU? Your ministers, good men, worthy to stand in your sanctuary, anoint your sick sheep. The elders are summoned, oil is applied, the sick are prayed for...and they stay sick or they don’t stay at all... Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. God, if you act, if you promise to deliver your people from their trouble when they pray, I can’t see you at work. God, I know by faith you are not a man that you can lie. I know by faith you do heal every saint, you didn’t say where they would be healed and made well. God, I need an answer but I have the answer already, you have spoken and the sound echoes forever, but for a moment I could not hear and forgot what you said. “And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.” The answer that transcends all questions The answer that comprises all doubts, all worries, all fears The answer to "why don’t you act?", "why don’t you move in this situation?" It’s long, gracious shadow says to us, says to me just like you so long ago you said to the woman "be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." Says to me Touch the shadow and substance of grace It is the hem of his garment stretched out across time and eternity, within your reach I am the crucible that makes possible The Spirit and the Bride say, Come – CALVARY! |