blogging guilt

sorry for not writing in awhile--I feel bad. I think about writing a lot and come up with things to post but then can't find the time to sit down and write. I do hope to post before I leave for CA on Friday and tell about my backpacking trip and other things happening. But for now, here is a poem I wrote for my Theology class (Christ: Culture & Radical Ethics) this past quarter. This poem was in response to the question: In what ways, if at all, can Scripture be a moral guide
for contemporary Christians making moral decisions? I hope you enjoy it and it causes you to think about what you base your descisions on.

The Test of Life

High school graduation,
Cardboard hat and flowing robe.
One summer away from change,
Time to live now on my own.
To be my own person,
and make my own decisions.

Dawn of first day’s freedom
A stack of papers,
Slid beneath the door.
Dozens of questions,
I can’t count how many.
It’s a test and it looks hard.

Who put this here?
When is it due?

Printed in grey,
Some multiple choice
Others true/false.

Questions about
Life
Death
War
Poverty
Relationships
Stewardship

15 minutes til class.
Enough time for a handful.
Hastened guesses,
To clear my conscience.
I really don’t know.
I really don’t care!

Twenty-four hours pass.
The test is back.
First 10 questions gone,
Pure, white emptiness in their place.

Except for my answers,
Bold and black.
Shouting at me.
Each begin with “I believe...”

Number 1, okay
Number 2, mmm hmm
Number 3, NO!
I don’t believe that!
What were my options?
They’re gone!
Lost in the white void

Desperately erasing,
The mocking statement of creed.
Smudging the ink,
It smears and fades to grey,
Blemishing the white paper.
My answer now illegible
Can I start over?

I do care!
The answers are important!
No satisfaction in grey.
“All of the above” is no longer an option.
I must choose carefully.

Everyday, I take the test.
Struggling over answers.
Life-changing questions.
My being hinges,
on an encircled letter.

Everyday, the test returned.
Whiteness a majority,
Bold, black creeds erect,
Grey questions still unanswered.

Uncertainty,
Doubt and confusion.
Which to choose?
Which is right?
Who has answers?

Counsellors,
Parents,
Friends,
All have opinions.

Loud voices shout advice.
Religion adds two cents.
Politics offers agenda.
Confusion has reached its climax.

My reality is twisting,
Spiralling out of control.
There must be a way to know
How to live and maintain sanity.

Can someone help me take the test?
Does anyone have a study guide?
I search my room for aid.
Leather-bound and dusty,
Sitting on my shelf,
A book of Holy wisdom.
Maybe it can help?

Tales of countless mistakes,
And victories numbering the same.
Never-aging lessons,
Recorded for our benefit.
How did they know?
How did they decide?

God-breathed words,
Equipping us “for every good work”,
Omniscient author,
Exceeding human standards,
Beyond ethical confusion,
Righteousness and Goodness all in one.

Jesus, the Word Himself.
Model of unconditional love.
Reaching out to poor and broken,
Perfect answers for complex queries.

Authority from days of old,
Foundational to humankind,
Constitutions, codes and laws,
Based on Truths of blessed Book.

If the Bible can’t be trusted,
We’re limited to human guides.
None more valid than another,
Subjective opinions based on what?
Who’s to say which answer is correct?
Everyone believes their own ideas.
A higher source must be considered,
Perfect melody amidst the din.

One sole Truth must exist,
For judgement of all mankind,
God as Judge knows the laws.
To live blameless, shouldn’t we?

God’s Word is not an answer key,
Spelling out all do’s and don’ts.
Discussion and prayer bring truth,
through discernment and community.

The Bible declares wisdom,
Offering the aid I seek.
Facts that never hold nor hinder,
Instead, freedom offered through the Truth.

1 Sovereign Inspiration,
40 human pens,
1500 years of stories,
All point to 1 Truth.

The Truth of Father, Son, and Spirit,
Love for God and all mankind,
Grace and mercy proclaim salvation,
A blood-stained cross and empty tomb.

Another day,
Another test,
I feel ready,
Now I know.

Confident pen circling here and there
I am not forced to choose A or B
Each answer is my own,
Based on Biblical Truth.

I do not fear blackened answers of tomorrow
Or the white void I leave behind.
So long as all grey disappears,
I know how to live my life.

Each day is a test,
Am I in the world or of it?
Correct answers reflect His love,
Yet, pass or fail He loves me evermore.