Note to a Vandal

On By dorahakIn Church, Poems
PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox

Genre: Poetry; Word count: 100

Note to a Vandal

Named demon by my father,
taught life’s grammar by brute force,
think you to disassemble me by calumny,
emblazoning my property green,
as if the seen shames more than the unseen?

Are you a vandal? Are you meretricious?
Would foster evil greater than mother’s blame,
beat harder than a rod of pain?
Have stakes driven through my heart?
It’s been done.

Yet long before fists of flesh, eyes of stone,
Love upon a Cross of wood claimed me;
I, hidden in Him, rose with Him,
live by faith, by grace, enjoy eternal life in Him.

Grace, mercy, peace, my friend.

Host Rochelle Wisoff-Fields of Friday Fictioneers provides us with this week’s photo prompt and reminds us that “November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. This event became known as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. This was only the beginning of one of the most barbaric and vicious times in recent history. We say ‘never again.’ But.…” Rochelle shares a video link to Auschwitz concentration camp survivor, Dr. Edith Eger, who experienced survivor’s guilt, attaining peace towards the end of her life, and who says at one point in the short seven-minute talk: “When you share your secret, you are no longer in the concentration camp that is in your own mind.”

This Sunday, November 6, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, when you are invited to pray with those around the world for persecuted Christians, currently the most persecuted religious group in the world. The group Open Doors USA figures that 360 million Christians last year lived in countries where persecution was “significant.” Roughly 5,600 Christians were murdered, more than 6,000 were detained or imprisoned, and another 4,000-plus were kidnapped. In addition, more than 5,000 churches and other religious facilities were destroyed.

Join us at Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers and write on the photo prompt in 100 words or less. Click here to read more.

25 thoughts on “Note to a Vandal”

  3. Dear Dora,

    Powerful verses. What is rarely shared is how many true Christians went to the camps alongside the Jews they sought to protect. And so little is known of the persecution of the believers. We’re polarized in this country and haven’t had to take a stand for our faith. Scary. I can’t help wonder if I’ll have the courage, but take comfort in how Father Ten Boom answered little Corrie’s same concern.
    “When do I give you the ticket for the train?”
    “Right before we get on.”
    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Like

    Reply

    1. Dear Rochelle,

      Papa ten Boom was wise. I know Corrie ten Boom’s story from her autobiographical “The Hiding Place.” Her honest faith comes shining through but she’s always pointing to the Author of that faith, never herself. If it comes to that, we will do the same. In the meantime, we pray for our country. 🙏

      Aleichem Shalom,
      Dora

      Like

    1. It’s frightening to watch the cauldron being stirred, as if the 21st century must outdo the 20th in the horrors humanity is capable of on a mass scale. But there is always faith, hope, and love. “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Nor will it at the end of time.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. We in America are so insulated from the persecution of Christians in other parts of the world. Your incredible poetry brings it home to us. I believe it’s coming, if the rhetoric continues that is blaming Christians and labeling us as terrorists continues. I don’t think we’ll be ready because we have not been openly victimized since pre-colonial days and, finally, the Bill of Rights.

    Thanks for bringing this horrible reality to us today, Dora. Prayer is the best protection.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Linda. I agree with you, and it’s already begun here in some ways, as Christians are increasingly marginalized culturally and economically for our beliefs. It can only get worse as our freedoms are threatened. Joining you in prayer.

      Liked by 1 person

Please share your thoughts!

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s