God and Elections

 

 

To whom did God listen

If He listened at all?

No doubt both sides prayed;

Both on Him called.

 

Whose request was honoured?

Did God play a part?

Did he actually set it up

From the very start?

 

Did He cast a vote

Not one but two

And did He influence the voters

In the voting booth?

 

Would it have been fair

In your opinion

If God took a side

In this recent election?

 

Did He decide

The victor and the vanquished

And tell me, if you can,

Did He grant your wish?

 

I would imagine

That Christians prayed

And they voted preferentially

As is the democratic way.

 

However, one side lost

And another won,

Why should not the losers feel

They were undone?

 

Did their faith play a role

In the victory wrought

Hence the lesser faith of the two

Defeat on them brought?

 

All these are questions

That we need to ask

But who can answer them?

Who’s equipped for the task?

 

 

“God puts up Governments

And He takes them down”,

You must have heard this one

Making the rounds.

 

But given its context,

Is this so today?

Does a theocracy and a democracy

Work in the same way?

 

Did the Israel of old

Operate like we do today?

Did they hold general elections

Allowing people a say?

 

And while it is true

The “ayes” favoured Saul,

Concerning the selection of a king,

Was it so for all?

 

Certainly not for David,

The prophet Samuel can attest

And in Father Jesse’s mind

David was not his best.

 

Not a shepherd boy

Who was not in war skilled

Even though a lion and a bear

He had killed.

 

Oh, and by the way,

He had slain a giant too

And put to ignominious flight

The entire Philistine troop.

 

 

No ballots were cast

As in general elections today

And unlike today, generally,

The people had no say.

 

We must not blame God

For the choices we make

When things begin to fall apart

And our hopes dissipate.

 

For while we vote

As is our democratic right,

Christians can only pray and hope

Our leaders see the light.

 

That divine light,

That “thus saith the Lord”

That is the hallmark of leadership

That follow God’s Word.

 

For given the “separation”

Between state and church,

The church is basically regulated

By legal experts.

 

They meet in Parliaments

And they pass the laws

That the church must abide by

Even though flawed.

 

 

God is not a politician

Out begging for a vote

And with that said I will end

On this sober note.

 

Stewart Russell © November 6, 2024

 

 

Looking Back

 

 

Hearing de National Anthem

I standing ramrod straight

 

I am a proud bajan

Some say poor great

 

At de Garrison Savannah

Back in nineteen sixty-six

 

See de playing field

In a such a muddy fix

 

Never see so much bajans

In muh entire life

 

All o’ dem wid one purpose

Independence not strife

 

There in dey numbers

Not caring ‘bout de mud

 

Packing in de Garrison

As many as dey could

 

Some walked for miles

Some come by donkey cart

 

A few come by motorcar

All bajans to de heart

 

 

For this very night

They had eagerly planned

 

Every one of them

Down to a single man

 

Was plenty activity

Then de moment come

 

 

We see Errol Barrow

What a great Barbadian son!

 

Standing like a soldier

Was a moment to brag

 

 

Down went de Union Jack

Up went de bajan flag

 

 

See de Broken Trident

Sitting on yellow and blue

 

Flying in de cool night air

What a splendid view

 

Suddenly de sky lit up

With a variety of colour

 

Announcing Barbados

World’s latest super power

 

That’s how we felt

Bajans through and through

 

Don’t get vex wid we

We just have to tell you

 

This is we nation

Built under God

 

From de top o’ de hills

Right to de earthly sod

 

 

We are a proud people

Of what we have achieved

 

Thanking God this very night

For what we have received

 

Meditate upon these words

Follow me as I pray

 

God bless this country

Every night and every day

 

With God we’ve come this far

With God we will survive

 

With God we will endeavour

With God we’ll ever strive

 

Thank you God for Bim

Save us Lord from all our sin

 

Stewart Russell © 2012

 

Follow My Directions Carefully

 

 

Sweeten it with lime

And flavor it with sugar,

A little essence is essential

Or don’t you dare bother.

 

Heat it up till it’s cool

Just a half-cup full,

Ensure the bottom half’s on top

Just as any idiot would.

 

If you put in a straw

I can drink from the bottom,

The ingredients you use

Must not be ill-gotten.

Add some ice to the mix,

I want it to be hot

To the extent that one can see

Steam coming out of the pot.

 

Neither leave it on the stove

Nor put in in the fridge,

But climb on to the roof

And leave it on the ridge.

 

In the day it will be cold

At nights it will be hot,

Follow my directions carefully

Tell me what you’ve got.

Oh, before I forget

Just one more thing to add,

Water is a definite necessity

Or else you are mad.

 

After twenty-four hours

Remove it from the ridge,

But remember what I told you,

Don’t put it in the fridge.

 

Did you put in vinegar?

If you have, go back to the top,

Right there is the best place

To extract the whole lot.

 

It’s time to revisit the essence:

Please use vanilla extract,

It’ll make this task much easier-

I know this to be a fact.

 

However, if you didn’t,

Add in a little at this time,

Lime juice cannot spoil vinegar

So, put it in to rhyme.

 

Let me recount the poem

To see where I am right now,

My definitely assured conclusion is:

I’ve lost my way somehow.

 

So, let me retrace my steps

To see where I started out,

That I am at the beginning now

I definitely have no doubt.

 

Sweeten it with lime

And flavour it with sugar,

Yes, I am at the beginning again

And I can go back no further.

 

A little essence is essential…

I won’t bore you with the details,

If you can follow this poem

Both you and I have failed.

For when I started out

I knew not where I was going

And now I have arrived there

I have no way of knowing.

 

Thanks for your time, however,

I am glad you spent it with me,

The fact you had nothing better to do

Is a clear sign of insanity.

 

I can recommend someone

That can improve your state,

But all that someone will improve

Is your insanity at a faster rate.

 

Sweeten it with lime

I know you have lost your mind,

Flavour it with sugar

Make lemonade next time!

 

Stewart Russell © September 17, 2022

 

Prediction Versus Prophecy

 

 

A great divide between these two

And I hope you can see,

A prediction is speculation

While prophecy is history.

 

Hey there, don’t fret yourself,

Give me a chance to explain,

The confusion surrounding these

Is enough to make one insane.

 

A prediction is just what it is:

A projection of the future,

It is premised upon a certain trend

And thus, it is conjecture.

 

Should conditions continue

There is a very good chance

But such as we know is speculation

However much advanced.

 

The weather is a case in point

Where predictions are rife

But we’re all aware of the inaccuracies-

For such is life.

 

The hurricane season is on us

And so are the usual predictions,

But between La Nina and the Sahara dust

We have uncertain calculations.

 

 

 

 

Predictions are man-made

And therefore, fraught with error

But it is still good that we be prepared

For any anticipated terror.

 

If it does not happen

Do not regret having been prepared

But be grateful and thankful

That the prediction failed.

 

Predictions are a staple

When it comes to everyday life,

Some of them are of positive outlook

And some anticipate strife.

 

Prophecy is different, though-

And is certainly not man-made,

It is divinely appointed

And can never fail.

 

Some prophecies are conditional

And were so indicated,

A careful study of the scriptures

Shows where this is stated.

 

 

However, unconditional prophecy

Is documented history

Revealed before it unfolded

By the I AM that I AM, the Almighty.

 

It is He that created time

And He inspired the holy scriptures

Such that, anything God says,

Must be fact and not conjecture.

 

700 years before the event

It was recorded Jesus had died,

Yes, it was stated in the past tense

And he was not yet crucified.

 

 

Go to Isaiah chapter 53

And there you’ll see the details,

Prophecy, unlike man-made predictions,

Can never ever fail.

 

Heaven and earth will pass

But the word of God forever stands,

Predictions, my friend are speculative

But prophecy is God’s plan.

 

False prophesies are predictions

Usually given by a man,

The number of women is increasing

As though by demand.

 

They label them as prophecies

Saying they had heard from God

But the unfulfilment of so many

Shows they are frauds.

 

They call themselves prophets

Some, even apostles,

And some even make their living

Off gullible people.

 

Beware of those prophets

That foretell rather tell forth,

The former has personal agendas

And in their prophecies boast.

 

These are the foretellers

Who declare they heard from God,

Having received extra-biblical info

Which they then spread abroad.

 

Their pass grade is 60%

And sometimes it can be lower,

One time they would have attracted

Many a stone-thrower.

 

Prophecy is not a prediction

But in fact, the word of the Lord,

And there is always 100% accuracy

When delivered by the prophet of God.

 

Note I used the definite article-

‘The’ prophet of God, I said,

These prophets are still speaking

Though each one is dead.

 

They are found in the scriptures:

Each and every one

And their words still ring true

Although they are gone.

 

Stewart Russell © May 30, 2023