so many ideas about god
different races, different peoples
each with their own ideas
cultural, national, universal
mono or polytheistic
worship of the planet
of characteristics thereof
or human rationality
ourselves in the place of god

so many resolving
into what justifies my thought
my wishes and actions
what I do and fail to do
me, my people, my race, my nation
so many supporting
us rather than them
the elect against the outsider
our people not the foreigner
and when push comes to shove
those conflicts and wars
that such divisions always bring
the gods back me not you
they're on the side of my battalions
my ends justifying the means
my might always being right
or so my take on the gods tell me

so what is the power and purpose of god?
what difference does he/she/they make?
why this god not that god or any god at all?

perhaps we need god
recognising our faults and failings
the limits to understanding and wisdom
a universe so far beyond comprehension
our finite and limited thinking
facing questions beyond discovery
perhaps we need the awkward questions
god keeps disconcertingly asking
how we justify what we do
our use and abuse of power
the way we do relationships
from home, to work, to nations, to religion?

there was a backwoods preacher
who held up a mirror before us
our being and doings
our actions and inactions
'love the Lord your God
with all your heart, mind, soul and strength'
it's easy to say we do
that we accept external scrutiny
but the evidence says otherwise
then he stretched our thinking
'love your neighbour as yourself'
reminding us our neighbours
include those we think of as enemies
or consider us the same
so he said 'love your enemy
and pray for those who persecute you'
and persecute you they will
for the powerful hate nothing more
mark out as their enemy
than those revealing their power
abused in contrast to such love
so 'love as I have loved you'
sacrificially, self-giving, unbounded
by time, space or circumstance
not theoretically but actively
'to love mercy, act justly
and walk humbly with your God'
and when we get it wrong
or they get it wong
for we all always get it wrong
'forgive our sins as we forgive
those who sin against us'

of course he didn't last
for those with power didn't like
the mirror he faced us with
so we had him killed, crucified
far easier to smash the mirror
than to change, transform
get rid of the nuisance
so we can get on with business
carry on as normal
with a warning left hanging there
for others with jumped up ideas
job done, so we said, so we thought .....

14th February 2025
Stephen Cooper