Every one of us goes through difficult times, even times of dark desperation, and it is for those people that I wrote this collection of poems so they may find hope and comfort.
Let me tell you about one of the poems in my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy.
Who Not to Blame, a Poem about the False One, is found on page 23 of Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy.
TITLE
At first glance, the title looks straightforward. It is, Who Not to Blame, a Poem about the False One. You think it might be about identifying the right person or cause for a problem. The reader might think it answers the question of fault. The reader begins to contemplate that they blame the wrong parties for our suffering.
STRUCTURE
This poem is 24 lines long, and the lines are of various lengths. It has three different phases. The first establishes the issue of guilt. Lines 1 through 11 says,
Guilt
Sneaks in the back door
Of your suffering...
Then moves to the questioning that guilt puts you through.
The second phase of the poem declares grounds for guilt:
If your actions
Brought your suffering,
Then you would know it...
MESSAGE
The message of this poem is understood through the reference to Ancient Job, a figure from the Old Testament.
The Bible tells how the Devil argued with God and claimed Job loved God only because God had blessed him, so the Devil took away all of Job's blessings, but Job never cursed God and continued to be faithful to God. In Job's case, no wrongdoing on his part caused his suffering; in the same way, we may experience evil without being at fault.
While we must not ignore guilt but should bring it to God and seek forgiveness through Christ, we should also be aware of false guilt that has no foundation in our actions. We should not belittle the pain in our lives but know when not to blame ourselves for it.
ILLUSTRATION
On the page with this poem is a drawing in pen of a road leading through a rolling wilderness landscape of rocky grasslands with a single tree beside the road.
VERSE
The verse that I choose to go with this poem is 1 Peter 1:7,
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7, NLT
There are times in life when we suffer, and in our suffering, we add unnecessary guilt. This poem gives comfort and hope during those times. You can read this poem in my book on page 23. To order a copy, see below.
Let me tell you about one of the poems in my book, Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy.
Who Not to Blame, a Poem about the False One, is found on page 23 of Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy.
TITLE
At first glance, the title looks straightforward. It is, Who Not to Blame, a Poem about the False One. You think it might be about identifying the right person or cause for a problem. The reader might think it answers the question of fault. The reader begins to contemplate that they blame the wrong parties for our suffering.
STRUCTURE
This poem is 24 lines long, and the lines are of various lengths. It has three different phases. The first establishes the issue of guilt. Lines 1 through 11 says,
Guilt
Sneaks in the back door
Of your suffering...
Then moves to the questioning that guilt puts you through.
The second phase of the poem declares grounds for guilt:
If your actions
Brought your suffering,
Then you would know it...
The final phase refers to Ancient Job, who suffered the loss of all he owned, his family, and even his health.
MESSAGE
 |
| Illustration for the poem, Who Not To Blame from the Book Beyond These Dark Lands Are Edges of Joy, By A.E. Dozat © 2018 |
The Bible tells how the Devil argued with God and claimed Job loved God only because God had blessed him, so the Devil took away all of Job's blessings, but Job never cursed God and continued to be faithful to God. In Job's case, no wrongdoing on his part caused his suffering; in the same way, we may experience evil without being at fault.
While we must not ignore guilt but should bring it to God and seek forgiveness through Christ, we should also be aware of false guilt that has no foundation in our actions. We should not belittle the pain in our lives but know when not to blame ourselves for it.
ILLUSTRATION
On the page with this poem is a drawing in pen of a road leading through a rolling wilderness landscape of rocky grasslands with a single tree beside the road.
VERSE
The verse that I choose to go with this poem is 1 Peter 1:7,
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:7, NLT
Guilt
Sneaks in the back door
Of your suffering
Then follows you around
Like some shadow-man
In the night.
Guilt is like elevator music
Whispering doubtful words
Like, what did I do wrong?
Did I commit sin?
Why am I punished?
If your actions
Brought your suffering,
Then you would know it
And would not ask why.
But if like ancient Job
You have no fault
And if you ask, "Why?"
Like ancient Job,
You may not get
An explanation.
And like Job
Your pain is real,
But your guilt is not.
There are times in life when we suffer, and in our suffering, we add unnecessary guilt. This poem gives comfort and hope during those times. You can read this poem in my book on page 23. To order a copy, see below.
