25th October is the feast day
Of Crispin and Crispinian
Although now removed
From the Universal Liturgical
calendar
Of the Roman Catholic
Church
The Sainted Twins
Are still commemorated
On that day in the
Roman Martyrology
And the feast remains
as a
“Black Letter Saints'
Day”
In the calendar of the
Anglican
Book of Common Prayer
I have always had faith
An unaccountable
Unshakable faith
But only in God
My faith in him
Was a constant
The only constant
In an uncertain world
It was the Church
I had no truck with
My faith did not
extend
To the institution
Of the Church
Or its instruments
Its rituals and
Mechanisms of control
I have no issue with
The Church family
Well meaning folk
One and all
Doing the great things
And the small with
equal relish
They are just not for
me
I chose to worship
alone
Just me and my God
My Church was a quiet
wood
My Cathedral a hill
top
So to stand before the
cross
In the old Chapel
Was a departure for me
A departure from the
norm
But exceptional
circumstances
Called for exceptional
measures
It was an old place
An ancient place
A powerful place
A conduit to God
To amplify my faith
So I fell to my knees
In the ancient chapel
Humbling myself
Before my God
When I was first diagnosed
I didn’t say why me?
I didn’t blame God
I didn’t curse him
Or hate him
Or ask the question
Why me Lord?
All my life
I have been blessed
And when good things
Happened in my life
I didn’t say “why me?”
The good book
A trusty tome
Full of comfort and
succour
Hope and salvation
A reliable companion
A stalwart in
adversity
A true bestseller
Sometimes contentious
Often misquoted
Frequently misused,
The devout and the
atheist
Quote in equal measure
From its voluminous
pages
They scour and pillage
Cherry picked passages
To support a
particular stance
At times it can even
satisfy
Both sides of the same
argument
Inclusive and
accessible to all
In the right hands
It illuminates and
empowers
In the wrong hands
It divides and imposes
The bible in truth
Is full of ambiguities
And numerous
contradictions
But most important of
all
It contains essential
truths
When love fills the heart
Until it
overflows
There is but one thing
to-do
As everyone knows
And that is to share
it out
With friends and foes
We live in a cynical world
So why should we believe
We think our politicians
Are programmed to deceive
We distrust anyone wearing
Their heart on their sleeve
So is it any wonder that
On the whole we disbelieve
Now doubtless you will tag me
As impossibly naive
But for me it is impossible
For me to ever conceive
Of a universe where God
Is absent from the weave
Let God within your heart
Fill the void of
darkness
Fill it with love and
joy
Let his love envelope
your being
Let him bring light
Where darkness once
dwelt
Let him bring love
Where hate once ruled
Let him bring
happiness
Where sadness held dominion
