He lay in agony for an eternity.
His cries of pain drowned in the tempest of deadly conflict.
Blood drained from his body as the sodden earth sucked warmth from his mangled frame.
He lingered for a day and half a night.
Delirious he sobbed and cursed and faced a thousand fears.
In the nether-land he halted, too weak to live, yet too strong to die.
The battle was abandoned.
All was fought in vain.
The violence and blood were now a crying shame.
The territory held by all the hated foes
Was still his own domain.
With no-one to oppose.
Nature’s lamp-light rose and cast its eerie pall across this dreaded vale.
And there a hand reached out to touch a cheek now pale.
An eye turned up to see what comforter had come.
Who smoothed away the tears upon a frame now numb?
In silhouette above he saw his deadly foe, now crouched in soft compassion.
Then only did he know that though men face and fight
And each believe he’s right
When death comes in the night
We face a common end.
The issue of our day, exalted to hold sway,
Is like a passing rage that tears across the stage.
Upheaval in its wake, it makes the strongest quake
Then once the thing is passed, peace returns at last.
Leviathan long gone, society moves on
And there returns again, awareness we’re just men.
Compassion stirs a hand and joins a brave new band
Who reach out to unite those caught up in the fight.
And so the wounded soul was lovingly caressed
Until he breathed his last and slipped into his rest.
Then grass began to grow where blood once flowed so free.
And life continues on, bequeathed to you and me.
Be careful of your heart and issues which hold sway.
For men still rise to fight on this a brand new day.
Be careful of the rage and cry that sweeps our land.
For God is over all, before whom you must stand.
His only is the fight and His alone the cause.
And we are mortal men who need to take a pause,
And listen to His voice and do His will again.
Remembering in all, that we are only men.
C.G. Field 2003/2008
The Reason Why
Have you ever been caught up in the emotion of an issue? Have you seen others get swept away by their feelings? Rage abducts nice people out of their comfortable existence and turns them into destroyers, willing to lose all for next to nothing.
People died thousands of years ago for causes that mean nothing at all today. People are dying today over issues that have no right to exalt themselves over people’s domestic happiness.
Oh, and yes there are some serious issues afoot. There is evil which needs to be arrested. I am not a pacifist, suggesting that all strength of will and purpose is somehow invalid. But I am concerned that many a battle which has left people bloodied, bruised, dying and dead, has not deserved the passion with which it was fought, nor the price which was paid.
The same is true in homes, where marriages and families are torn apart because of rage, intolerance, unforgiveness, depth of emotion, jealousy and so on. In the heat of the moment and the rage of the battle we can forget that our feelings are lesser things than God and His purposes for our lives.
How many people have ended up in prison, pain or deep regret because they were drawn into a battle that should never have been fought?
When the fight is over and the storm is passed we seem to be able to remember that we are but mortal flesh and that God is master of all. Would it not be better to have that in mind all the way through?