"I want to thank all those who come from around the world and read the poetry that God has inspired me with to make the world a more pleasant and peaceful place. This site shall always be totally free for everyone with no tracking, pop-up ads & videos or other distractions." ~louis gander

July 30, 2016

From Humble Root 7-30-16


A green and fragile leaf, was she
and unimportant she would be.
She was depressed.
For she was small, not very big
attached so lightly to a twig -
so she was blessed.

A small and simple twig was he
which held the leaf that waved so free.
He too depressed.
He feared, with wind he'd be detached,
yet to a branch, he was attached -
so he was blessed.

A small, but stable branch was there
which seemed to bend but didn't care.
It too depressed.
Afraid of wind, its life was grim
and so unlike the larger limb -
yet it was blessed.

A large and stable limb it was,
but it, unhappy too because,
it was depressed.
It exercised.  It was a 'hunk'
but wasn't an enormous trunk -
yet it was blessed.

A giant of a trunk was it?
It had opinions so unfit.
It too depressed.
It stood unmoved with haughty face
there over root on its own space -
so it was blessed.

Now root was happy.  It could sing.
It fed and nourished everything -
up to the leaves.
And it was not presumptuous
when it supplied its sustenance
to all the 'least of these'.

That root was humble under sod
and faithful to creation's God -
and it would thrive.
But then wind timbered trunk and tree!
Oh, what had happened?  Could it be
the root's alive...?

...to grow another tree, no doubt.
From humble root, a humble sprout.
Do you now see?
Take care then where your faith is at
so you do not end up like that
ol' timbered tree.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

Study Notes for pastors & Bible Study groups:
The leaf, the twig, the branch, the limb and the trunk were not blessed because of what they were attached to - but rather because of the nourishment they received from the unseen root.  We are not blessed because of who or what (spouse, church, political party, elected officials, possessions, money) we are 'attached' to but rather we are blessed because of our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.  If our faith is in man or things, then one day we find ourselves on that ol' timbered tree.

July 23, 2016

ALL Children 7-23-16


Please help the little children Lord.
Bless each and ev'ry one.
Protect them from a world of hate,
from anger, sin and gun.

Resentment boils up from hell
and terrorizes earth
as wars break out like wildfires,
around another birth.

We clamor for position Lord,
we care for our own thirst.
We focus on our status, but
our blessings have been cursed.

You once had blessed America.
when we had trusted You.
But we have failed the "least of these"
and we all know it's true.

Please strip away our selfish pride
and fill us up with love -
and let us prove our charity
that we keep speaking of.

Why do we think that our kids are
much better than the rest?
ALL children are from You dear Lord -
the poor, the weak, oppressed.

Please help the little children Lord.
Bless each and ev'ry one.
Protect them from a world of hate,
from anger, sin and gun.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

July 22, 2016

Mom's Pumpkin Pie! 7-22-16


When I was just a little lad,
I came inside from play.
Aroma met my little nose
on many, many day.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

I rushed right to the kitchen and
the oven I had spied.
but it- completely empty.
I didn't quite know why.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

The table top was all cleared off.
The window sill was too.
My hunger pangs were 'killing' me.
Oh, what was I to do?
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

It wasn't in the oven and
the counter top was bare.
With refrigerator empty,
it wasn't anywhere!.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

"Hey!  Where's my pumpkin pie?" I yelled!
But there was ne'er a sound.
I yelled again.  The echo waned.
There was no one around.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

Could it be at the neighbor's house?
Would mama have gone there?
What if my pie was just for them?
Oh no, she wouldn't dare!
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

I ran off to the neighbor's house.
I pounded on the door.
And then when they had opened it,
my jaw dropped to the floor.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

And there it was- on table top -
as plain as 'one' could see.
Would she have given it to them?
Oh no!  It couldn't be.
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

I must have given hint away.
They must have seen a clue.
They then invited me to sit
so I could have some too!
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

But where was mom and where was dad?
Did they go to the store?
No.  They were in the pumpkin patch
so I could have some more!
Oh my my!
Mom's pumpkin pie!

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

July 12, 2016

Treasure 7-12-16


Treasure beauty from the Maker.
Treasure color, sky and nature.
Treasure walks through endless park
among the winging meadowlark.

Treasure songbirds high on limbs.
Treasure words in humble hymns.
Treasure humming tunes though old
that weave through treetops, warm the cold.

Treasure long and endless streams.
Treasure optimistic dreams.
Treasure truth when grapes are crushed
and when all future hopes are hushed.

Treasure boys with antique toys.
Treasure them who have no poise.
Treasure girls with bouncing curls
while wearing mother's phony pearls.

Treasure those who aren't perfect.
Treasure them with due respect.
Treasure friends, so close to you
and loyal friendship through and through.

Treasure faithful servitude.
Treasure quiet solitude.
Treasure Bible's remedies
and treasure fondest memories.

Treasure all that life has penned.
Treasure pause at trail's end.
Treasure journey, near complete
and rest awhile on wooden seat.

Treasure prayer through sun and shower.
Treasure God in all His power.
Treasure resurrection's way
and Christ's ascension.  What a day!

Treasure blessings from before
Treasure our salvation more.
Treasure Christmas, it's true meaning -
and forgiveness with its healing.

Treasure autumn, winter, spring.
Treasure faith in everything.
Treasure God's tremendous grace -
for each and ev'ry human race.

Treasure not your earthly treasures.
Question not the way God measures.
Just treasure all creation's of.
It's wrapped in love from God above.

Treasure beauty from the Maker.
Treasure color, sky and nature.
Treasure walks through endless park
among the winging meadowlark.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

July 2, 2016

In Your Heart 7-2-16


The winds push clouds across the sky,
the winds too clear to view.
Results, I see, but not the wind -
so tell me, is wind true?

I stumbled and I dropped a shoe,
then dropped my other shoe.
And no, I can't see gravity -
so tell me, is it true?

The thunder rumbled through the sky.
It scared both goat and ewe.
Though loud, I can't see thundering -
so tell me, is it true?

I memorized math tables that
began with 'two plus two'.
I cannot see equations though,
so tell me, are they true?

The fragrances from flowers seem
to greet my nose as glue.
But I can't see the fragrances -
so tell me, are they true?

The coffee flavors?  Plentiful.
I taste a special brew.
But I can't see what I can taste,
so tell me, are they true?

A special feeling, special love,
for children and for you.
But once again, I can't see love -
so tell me, is it true?

Creation is spectacular.
It's Heaven's sneak preview.
But once again, I can't see God -
so tell me, is He true?

The physical and spiritual
seem much too far apart,
but you will know that it's all true
when God is in your heart.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

Romans 1:18-32 (NASB)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen,being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers,haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but alsogive hearty approval to those who practice them.

June 18, 2016

Your Great Reward 6-18-16


I prayed, "I was grabbed."
Jesus asked, "Were you nabbed?"

I said, "I was controlled."
Jesus asked, "Were you sold?"

I said, "I was teased."
Jesus asked, "Were you seized?"

I said, "I was stalked."
Jesus asked, "Were you mocked?"

I said, "I had cried."
Jesus asked, "Were you 'tried'?"

I said, "I was used."
Jesus asked, "Were you accused?"

I said, "They were cheatin'."
Jesus asked,"Were you beaten?"

I said, "I was stripped."
Jesus asked, "Were you whipped?"

I said, "I was jailed."
Jesus asked, "Were you nailed?"
(pause)
I said, "I sat in dung."
Jesus asked, "Were you hung?"
(pause)
I said, "I was a slave."
Jesus said, "I forgave."
(longer pause)
I said feebly, "I cried and cried..."
Jesus said, "I died."

With heavy heart, I said, "Forgive me."
Jesus said simply, "Follow me."

I repeated, "Forgive me please!"
And Jesus said, "The least of these."

I said, "To the truth, I've been asleep."
So Jesus said, "Come.  Feed my sheep."

Then I said, "I've been awakened."
Jesus added, "...but never forsaken."

I said, "I can see!  Heaven has opened up!"
Jesus said, "You are free.  Take my cup."

I said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord."
And Jesus said, "It is prepared- your great reward."

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

June 12, 2016

Master Poet, The 6-12-16



Became a nightmare from a dream,
"Give us Barabbas!" was the scream.
If I was in that crowd that day,
would I have fought or run away?
Would I act like some animal?
Would I have been part of the brawl?
Would I, like Peter, tell a lie?
Would I deny, deny, deny?

The Master Poet's life?  A blur.
Misunderstood, His 'poems' were.
His verses soared away as birds.
Few understood His humble words.
Corrupted way before the lung,
and then deciphered off the tongue.
If it were me, what would I do?
His love for souls- oh was it true?

So nailed Him they, on cross, on hill.
Should Christ's bust be on pedestal?
With timbers rugged, timbers crossed,
He died up there and all seemed lost.
There were no melodies to hear.
There were no notes to bend the ear.
There was no music, nor a song.
There was no harp to play along.
---
His words we seldom understand.
Their meanings more than music and
the other things that thieve our days -
our busy lives and lazy ways.
His harmony we mustn't fear,
for Psalms are music to the ear.
Indeed, the Master Poet lives -
and gives and gives and gives and gives...

©2016 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
http://www.ganderpoems.org/

-------

John 6:20 (KJV)
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

June 2, 2016

Great White Knight, The 6-2-16


Came self-proclaimed, the Great White Knight -
and asked us all with him unite -
against the greater parasite -
the wicked snake of poisoned bite.

But it is 'he', I now indict -
exposing lies, none even trite -
with boast, with cuss, with sneer, with spite.
It's not okay and not alright.

I'd rather stand on moral height -
and never cease to do what's right -
not waving truce of coward's white -
but rather fight good freedom's fight.

For God's law is foundation's light -
exposing evil's vicious smite -
which violates the weak in fright -
all through the day and through the night.

Come forth, therefore, in all your might -
for God has blessed us with insight.
Though they both seem to be polite,
they're dangerous, as dynamite.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

Do not continue to vote for the lesser, vile people
and then pray to God for mercy.
Find a Godly leader and then vote FOR him or her
and then pray for that leader.

May 17, 2016

Bankruptcy 5-17-16


Will I get any sleep tonight?
Not yes, or even maybe.
The guilty, though, they're able to,
just like a little baby...

My fist, I shake in anger at
those vile, demonic men -
who work their dark, subversive deeds,
deceiving folks again.

They rescued only wicked ones -
the ones 'too big to fail' -
ignoring all us little ones,
the poor, the weak, the frail.

But there's no power in my fist.
My patience has run thin.
I see those lips in all my dreams -
their evil, hellish grins.

My whole life's work is up in smoke.
My efforts all in vain.
The whole world sleeps while I alone
endure my endless pain.

I did my best to follow You -
though weary and run down.
I've walked the straight and narrow in
a world that's up-side-down.

Now my reward for honesty
is painful, sleepless nights.
I know now work is futile here
with token legal rights.

It seems that Satan won again
with His deceptive lies -
but all those crooks with evil grins
will find they're not as wise.

Their greed has brought us massive debt,
their pride, a moral mess.
Their love of money now bankrupts
this country You once blessed.

We've drowned in laws and legal briefs,
down to the gates of hell -
with burning stench of vile souls.
We can't escape the smell.

And though I've tried my whole life through
to shine Your Truth and Light,
they've fought me every minute here.
And even now they fight.

There's nothing more that they can take.
They've taken ev'ry dime.
They've drained my hope and energy.
They stole my precious time.

Your eyes shall pierce the Heavens and
judge each and every one.
My prayer is that they've lied enough
and final judgment's done.

So judge us now with Sodom and
love's lenience, do not serve.
But Lord, please guard Your little ones.
Sin's mess, they don't deserve.

Just as a thief comes in the night,
I'm ready, though I weep.
So very soon, please take me up -
while hardened sinners sleep.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

Matthew 24:42-51 (NASB)

42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
45 “ Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

May 10, 2016

His Miracles 5-10-16


If, on this paper, I could pen
just one of God's creations, then,
it'd prove to all, His mighty hand -
His miracles on sea and land.

But how can I take fish or bird -
express their beauty in mere word?
Or on my paper, what remains
when grasping fragrance from spring rains?

Into my words, do rainbows melt?
Is, on my paper, sunshine felt?
Can words expose a flower's bloom?
Can page bring music to a room?

While we can see and smell and touch
and hear, we do not know so much.
Mere words are dark and empty holes
just like our dead and empty souls.

Our pride stands in the way of Christ
while we all think we've sacrificed!
So humbly pray to God above
through miracles of peace and love.

We're like mere words as body dies.
But spirits live above the skies
to see in Heaven all the more -
His miracles, like none before.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

Traditions and emotions give, but if not hearts, we cannot live -
eternally in Heaven where, these things on earth do not compare.
~louis gander

April 9, 2016

The Pretty Purple Blossom 4-9-16


The pretty purple blossom bloomed one sunny springtime day
and as the others grumbled, this is what she had to say...
"Enjoy the warming sunshine and the view we get from here.
Just concentrate on Jesus now.  There's nothing more to fear."

But oh, the other blossoms argued in the stirring breeze,
"We're worried we'll get stung by bees or worried we might freeze.
We're on an old crab apple tree - not white or red or pink.
So why did God do this to us?  Life is unfair, we think."
---
The pretty purple blossom turned her petals to the sun
and as the others grumbled, her calm faithful words begun...
"Please let me rest in Jesus' arms and let the whole world be.
His blessings all surround us now.  Just look around and see."

But still, the blossoms argued underneath a darkened cloud,
"This shouldn't be permitted.  No, this shouldn't be allowed.
What if the storm clouds gather and the winds begin to stir?
What if the lightning strikes us or tornadoes should occur?"
---
The pretty purple blossom seemed to wink at growing wind
and as the others grumbled, there were many there who sinned...
"Please don't be anxious and annoyed at what you can't control.
Enjoy this day that God has giv'n and worry 'bout your soul."

And still, the blossoms argued as dark clouds began to form,
"See?  We were right!  We told you so!  Here comes a giant storm!
Now we are waving in the wind.  We heard your subtle scoff.
It won't be long before the wind will blow us blossoms off!"
---
The pretty purple blossom folded petals as she prayed
and as the others grumbled, she was not at all afraid...
"Who can you trust if not our God, creator of all things?
The winds have been a blessing now - turned branches into swings!"

The other blossoms argued as the storm was overblown,
"The day will come when we will die.  The facts have made it known.
There needs to be equality so we can stay alive.
If we could stick together we can certainly survive."
---
The pretty purple blossom looked up to the clearing skies
and as the others grumbled she had seemed to agonize...
"No matter what you do on earth, no matter how you try,
you will not live forever and one day you'll surely die."

The other blossoms argued in a meeting they had held,
and came up with a rule of law which was unparalleled.
The law was passed late in the day - about half-past eleven.
The pretty purple blossom though, already lived in Heav'n.
---
The pretty purple blossom walked with Jesus, hand in hand
and as the others grumbled, she still prayed they'd understand.
A forest fire, burning hot, was headed straight their way
and though they didn't know it yet, it'd be their final day.

The other blossoms argued as the flames were heading near.
And this time it was serious.  They had something to fear.
No social rule or law could save them from this certain plight.
In one way or another, there is death in dead of night.
---
So soon the purple blossoms fall from that crab apple tree
as time continues swiftly for the blossoms - (you and me).
The pretty purple blossom lives in full serenity -
still praying we will join her there ...for all eternity.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

April 2, 2016

Intended 4-2-16


Are there flowers alone, unattended?
Are there blossoms with no hummingbird?
Are there good deeds that I had intended,
yet the music has never been heard?

Are there words to a song left unwritten?
Are there words that I've left here unsaid...
to a friend or neighbor who's hurting,
'cause I'm living my own life instead?

Are there flowers alone that are dying?
Is my friend or my neighbor in bed?
Has the music in my heart gone silent?
Is my soul and my spirit now dead?

Can I see God's rich love in the sunshine?
Can I feel His warmth on my face?
Can I see all His colors in rainbows
recalling His love and His grace?

Can I humble myself among flowers?
Can I kneel under blossoming trees?
Can I pray for the sick and the dying?
Can I give to the poor 'least of these'?

Are there flowers alone, unattended?
Are there blossoms with no hummingbird?
Are there good deeds that I had intended,
yet the music has never been heard?

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

March 6, 2016

For Our Youth 3-6-16


Death's grip holds a lost generation here.
They harbor no love or respect.
We've failed to teach them what Jesus did -
so really, what did we expect?

We see them behave in an immature way.
We hear all the four-letter slang.
We all get a taste of their pure, evil deeds
and wonder why they're in a gang.

America's lost to a new way of life.
Sins pull on our youth is so strong.
We go to a fun'ral of good child shot -
then wonder still, "What has gone wrong?"

You think that this poem's too negative.
You think that there's more to the truth -
but just take a look at the news of the day.
Why do we not care for our youth?

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

February 21, 2016

Come To Their Rescue 2-21-16


Still streaking down their lonely cheeks,
so many tears are shed.
With cries throughout the longest nights,
those nightmares are widespread.
---
I've maybe heard them once or twice,
but please bear this in mind -
there's so much shopping I must do
and outfits I must find.
The birthday parties I attend,
the weddings, funerals too -
and holidays are coming soon.
Oh, what am I to do?

Or maybe I am all wrapped up
inside my fav'rite teams -
the one that's in the playoffs now
fulfilling this fan's dreams.
For those who live outside my world,
how can I really care?
What can I do while I am here -
and they are over there?

To rescue someone?  Tell me how.
They don't live next to me.
How can I hear their cries for help
when they, I cannot see?
Once unaware of torture, my
snug ignorance was bliss.
But why should I now waste any time
here telling you all this?

Please don't think I am ignorant
of other people's pain -
and all wrapped up inside myself.
I'm not self-centered, vain.
Tomorrow they'll be hurting too
as they were yesterday.
I can't go wasting all my time
on folks so far away.

The raping, loss of self-respect
and murdering of girls,
can't push important things aside
like shopping now for pearls.
Do I hurt anybody?  No!
It's Jesus I exalt.
So do not tug at my heart strings.
Their pain is not my fault!

And don't think I'm not thankful here
in warm and toasty bed -
between my clean, soft cotton sheets
as pillow hugs my head.
 But muffled screams - I hear them now.
They, in my mem-ries, stay.
They linger through the cold, dark nights
and pester me all day.

Oh, who can hear those victims scream
through distant, starry nights?
And who can hear survivors cries
from cruel and futile fights?
Though innocent, survivors moved.
They had no other choice.
They lost their homes and furniture
and with it all, their voice.

I cannot see those makeshift tents
or taste what they call food.
I cannot stop those terrorists
or change my attitude.
I'm done with sports and shopping now
and buying myself stuff.
Their screams have fin'lly reach my ears.
I've failed them long enough.

I do not buy new outfits now.
And football's not my game.
I'm focused on the "least of these".
My life is not the same.
I once thought it important here.
I now no longer do.
I'll start by giving all I can
to come to their rescue.

It's serious, the plight they're in.
Please understand their worth.
As sin runs rampant over weak
around this evil earth.
Our Congressmen must focus too
while evil men connive.
Please vote to stop the terrorists
to save those still alive.
---
Still streaking down their lonely cheeks,
so many tears are shed,
With cries throughout the longest nights,
those nightmares are widespread.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

The results of disrespect, hate, sin:


The year 2014 saw more global persecution of Christians than any other year in recent history, and can only be compared to the first centuries when Christians were hunted down as criminals in the Roman Empire. The policy of the Emperor Diocletian, in fact, who reigned from 284-305AD, was remarkably similar to that taken by the Islamic State and Boko Haram: “Convert or die.”

A look around the globe reveals an unprecedented pattern of persecution that has shifted from isolated incidents of hostility to a systematic campaign to exterminate Christians in places where they have lived peacefully for centuries.

From the kidnapped school girls and massacres in Nigeria and the displacement of thousands in the Central African Republic, to the believers arrested for having a Bible study in Central Asia, to Meriam Ibrahim being sentenced to death in Sudan, to the ISIS slaughters, to the couple burned alive for blasphemy and hundreds of girls kidnapped in Pakistan, Christians throughout the world saw a major escalation in persecution in 2014.

The Jerusalem Post has spoken of “the religious cleansing of Middle East Christians” and noted that “anti-Christian violence in 2014 saw a transformation from under-told news coverage, to routine reports of radical Islamists seeking to obliterate Christianity’s presence.”

Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, said that “persecution” no longer adequately describes the treatment of Christians in a growing number of Muslim areas. “Religious cleansing, a type of cultural genocide, which is a crime against humanity, is the more accurate description,” she said. “This is now occurring in Iraq, Syria, parts of Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia and Pakistan.”

As noted in World Affairs, in Iraq the Islamic State is undertaking a religious cleansing intended to eradicate the entire presence of the country’s non-Muslim citizens. This war on Christians is not restricted to Iraq, but is also underway in other countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Extermination campaigns are being carried out by a multitude of extremist groups and “are directed most commonly and with special zeal against Christian communities that in some cases have coexisted with Muslims for more than a thousand years.”

Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod of the Syriac Orthodox church in Iraq describes the systematic persecution of Christians in the Middle East as “genocide” and “ethnic cleansing.” He has further said: “They are killing our people in the name of Allah and telling people that anyone who kills a Christian will go straight to heaven: that is their message.”

Dawod catalogs their activities in a grim list of offenses: “They have burned churches; they have burned very old books. They have damaged our crosses and statues of the Virgin Mary. They are occupying our churches and converting them into mosques.”

Things are no better in Syria, where Christians, both clerical and lay, have been the target of continual aggression. Last April 7, assassins broke into the monastery of Jesuit priest Frans van der Lugt in Homs, Syria, and shot him twice in the head. Although the priest had been doing humanitarian work nearly fifty years, suddenly in 2014 he was considered a symbol of the “infidel,” as one of a handful of Christians remaining in Homs of the population of eighty thousand Christians that lived there until recently.

With the rise of ISIS, “targeted violence against Christians has escalated.” Syria is undergoing a period of intense “Islamization” and Christians are becoming more exposed in all spheres of life. Many Christians have been abducted, physically abused or killed, and many churches damaged or destroyed. On October 21, jihadists invaded the ancient Christian settlement of Sadad, killing at least 45 people, and harming many more.

In northern Nigeria, the radical Islamist group Boko Haram has undertaken a ruthless program of forced conversions in its attempt to establish an Islamic Caliphate. Boko Haram soldiers storm Christian areas going from home to home demanding that every man convert to Islam. Those who refuse are shot dead on the spot. The radical group, which has proved more than a match for the Nigerian military, has killed as many as 350 Christians in a single week.

Boko Haram has repeatedly beheaded male opponents and forced Christian women to marry them and convert to Islam, and has been responsible for the deaths of at least 4,000 Nigerians in this year alone.

In 2014, China saw some of the most aggressive anti-Christian persecution since the times of Mao, which involved incarceration, the demolition of churches, and the systematic removal of crosses. An elderly woman in Sanjiang, in Zhejiang province, saw her church demolished. “During the Cultural Revolution they burned Bibles, but they didn’t remove the crosses,” she said.

A pastor in Beijing noted that “by making a clean sweep of Sanjiang, the government wants to set an example and show that nothing will stop it.” In May, six other churches were earmarked for demolition in Wenzhou, and one church was converted into a “cultural auditorium.” In the following weeks, the crosses on 15 churches in the Wenzhou region were smashed or removed by crane. Another local pastor said simply: “They want to remove every trace.”

Paradoxically, it is in some of these very areas where Christians are suffering most that are seeing the greatest growth in conversions to Christianity.

A second-century Church Father named Tertullian famously said that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians,” meaning that Christianity thrives under persecution. This certainly appears to be the case now, as Christianity is flourishing, for example, in China and Africa, while growth is markedly slower in Europe and much of the first world. If current trends continue, China will have the largest Christian population of any nation in the world in just 15 years.

So as Islamic extremists try to eradicate Christianity in its birthplace, and still others attempt to stamp it out in where it is growing fastest—Africa and China—the west seems somewhat complacent, and rests on the sacrifices of prior generations. Moreover, the western response seems often what has been called the “embarrassed silence of Christians in face of anti-Christian persecution.”

The true tragedy would be for those who take their religious freedom for granted to become numb to the sufferings of their brothers and sisters who are shedding their blood in faithfulness to their beliefs.

Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter @tdwilliamsrome
http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/01/03/2014-the-year-of-the-christian-genocide/

---

Genocide Emergency
Syria - Since the first uprisings began in the Syrian Arab Republic in early March 2011, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has violently repressed civilian protests and launched attacks on both rebel forces and Sunni Arab civilians. Data collected by the UN Human Rights office estimates the death toll to be greater than 60,000 people. According to the UN Refugee Agency, over 700,000 registered Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries, mainly Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, with thousands more leaving daily. President Assad continues to label the armed rebel forces as “terrorists” and has rejected the offer of peace talks made by Sheik Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib, the main opposition leader. Nations should call for a cease-fire, convince Assad to step down, and bring in more humanitarian assistance. If Assad will not stop bombing his own nation into rubble, NATO forces led by Turkey should destroy his air force.
Sudan - Since the Bush Administration first recognized the genocide in Darfur, at least 250,000 more men, women, and children have died. Using its own military and the Janjaweed militia, Sudan's regime has conducted a systematic campaign to kill and drive out Darfur's ethnic Fur, Massalit, and Zhagawa peoples. Supported by aircraft and helicopter gunships, the Janjaweed attack towns, villages, and refugee camps, kill the men and boys, rape the women and girls, and poison the wells. Their goal is to replace these African peoples with Arab herders.
Democratic Republic of the Congo - The DRC is plagued by enduring conflict in its eastern provinces. Formally the second Congolese war came to an end in 2002. However, in practice the conflict drags on and is the most deadliest since the second World War. Estimates of the dead range from three to five million persons. The victims are civilians, in particular women and girls, and ethnic groups such as the Banyamulenge, the Hutu Banyarwanda, the Hema and the Lendu. Many of the killers and rapists are former genocidists who escaped into the DRC from the Rwandan genocide.
Ethiopia - In September 2008, Genocide Watch declared a Genocide Warning regarding the war that was being waged against small ethnic minority called Burji in a town of Hagre Mariam by an ethnic Oromo group called Guji. Since then the Guji Oromo have continued to wage protracted war against Burji in various localities, especially in towns and villages surrounding the city of Soyama, which is 60 Km west of the city of Hagremariam. Over the course of the last several months there have been heavy loss of lives and damage to Guji properties including destruction of crops and farm equipment. In January 2009, there were reports of heavy fighting on three different fronts, namely Nadale/ Chuluse front and Gara and Tisho vicinities. News from Hagremariam stated that Guji Oromo warriers were advancing towards Soyama in great numbers. According to Genocide Watch sources, Guji/Oromo attacks on Buji began on January 22, 2009. The situation is continues to be dire, and urgent action must be taken to avert further attacks.
Burma/Myanmar - Burma, Southeast Asia's most oppressed nation, remains under the forty-three year tyranny of a military junta and should be a grave concern to the international community. Abuse of ethnic minorities, mass rape of women, mandatory relocations, extrajudicial state executions, military recruitment of children, and forced labor are only a few of the many violations of human rights currently practiced in the resource rich but economically impoverished nation.1 The regime change of 2004 which deposed General Khin Nyunt in favor of Lieutenant General Soe Win continues to suppress the strong movement for democracy, keeping Burma in a cyclical state of tyranny.

Genocide Warning

Nigeria - The insurgency of the radical Islamist movement Boko Haram in the north of Nigeria poses a great threat of genocidal massacres. Since the summer of 2011 Boko Haram has struck different targets in Nigeria ranging from government buildings, especially the security sector, to churches. The latter category of attacks is alarming as they might radicalize relations between the Muslim north and the Christian south of the country.
Chad - Chad is largely influenced by the situation in neighboring country Sudan. The Sudanese government has supported rebels who have made three attempts to overthrow the Chadian government by force. These situations made Genocide Watch declare Genocide Warnings for Chad in 2005, renewed in April 2006 and January 2008. Today Chad remains at Stage 6, the Preparation stage preceding genocide. Since 2010, ties between the Sudanese president al-Bashir and the Chadian president have improved, but this has not ended the hopeless situation of hundreds of thousands refugees in Chad. In February 2011, a report of the International Crisis group raised an Alert about Chad’s Northwest, as the next high-risk area where violence and famine could endanger human lives.
Equatorial Guinea - There is deep ethnic division in Equatorial Guinea, and also clan division within ethnicities. The majority of the population belong to the Fang group. Within this group there are clans. President Obiang Nguema favors his own clan, the Esangui. The Bubi people represent the minority ethnicity and are indigenous to Bioko Island. They are subject to systematic discrimination and persecution by the government, and were the main victims of the genocide carried out by president Macías Nguema from 1978 - 1979. Genocide Watch considers Equatorial Guinea to be at early warning stage 6: Preparation for potential massacres.
Yemen - Genocide Watch has downgraded the risk of genocide and politicide in Yemen from stage 7 (active massacres) to stage 6: potential massacres. Genocide Watch welcomes the recent transfer of power in Yemen and the large participation in elections by Yemeni citizens. However, the following risk factors are evidence that the security situation in Yemen is still of great concern. The roots of national identity and democracy are shallow. Yemen could again degenerate quickly into violence.
Kenya - Genocide Watch has called a Genocide Alert because of genocidal massacres that are increasing daily in Kenya in the wake of a disputed election between President Mwai Kibaki, who is a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group, and Mr. Raila Odinga, who is ethnically a Luo. Ethnic riots have broken out in Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, and numerous other places in Kenya. People have been pulled from their cars and their identification cards checked for their names, which symbolize their ethnic identity, and then killed if they belong to groups being targeted. Hundreds of people have already been murdered. Today a church in Eldoret was locked and the people inside were burned to death by a mob.Ethnic massacres are an indicator that the risk of genocide in Kenya has risen to Stage 6, the Preparation stage.Kenya has not yet descended into actual genocide. However, the next stage in the process is actual genocide, and Kenya is close to that stage.
Central African Republic - Since its independence from France in 1960, the political situation in CAR has always been unstable. Last years, the CAR has also become a refuge for the Lord’s Resistance Army, led since 1987 by the mass murderer, Joseph Kony of Uganda. Kony is notorious for abducting child soldiers and girl sex slaves and was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005, but still not arrested. Another pressing security threat in the CAR is the Front Populaire Pour le Redressement (FPR), a Chadian armed rebel group backed by Sudan that has carried out sporadic attacks in northern CAR since 2008. Because crimes against humanity by the LRA and FPR have led to widespread terror and forced displacement, Genocide Watch considers CAR at stage 6: potential massacres.

http://www.genocidewatch.org/alerts/newsalerts.html

February 10, 2016

Near, Yet Far 2-10-16


Oh, where has that young child gone?
Where now is that young boy -
the one with cute and chubby cheeks,
the one with eyes of joy?

His eyes were blue and innocent.
His skin was pure and smooth.
Obeyed, he did, his parent's rules.
His heartaches, mom would soothe.

He listened with attentive ears
and he obeyed advice.
Some thought he was a bit naive,
but he was simply nice.

His peers would laugh, make fun of him,
his pants short, second-hand.
His shoes had worn up through the soles
inviting stones and sand.

He often sat in deepest thoughts -
just God and him alone -
discussing unknown future times
that only God had known.

So work, he did, through day and night
with utmost sacrifice.
But forty years was all for naught
and it would not suffice.

His father died, then mother too,
on sad and lonely days.
Her words of comfort vaporized
in many tear-filled ways.

A glimpse of him, I thought I had
inside my soul of gloom -
and moisture filled, again my eyes,
inside my life of doom.

He lived in distant era, so
removed from current time -
I can't go back.  Corruption is
a crass and dirty crime.

If, for a moment, I could fill
his worn-out humble shoes,
I'd long to stay again right there.
I know that's what I'd choose.

I'd seize upon his innocence
before those truths that are -
but I stare into mirror now,
for boy that's near, yet far.

The one with cute and chubby cheeks,
the one with eyes of joy -
oh, where has that young child gone?
Where now, is that young boy?

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

February 6, 2016

Givers & Takers 2-5-16


Inside this world of hate and love
of sour and dessert,
so many 'take' while others 'give'.
with sacrificial hurt.

Some lie to get just what they want.
Some steal and get their way.
And they don't care what we endure
or what we think or say.

Some, out of spiteful, angry hate,
think they are tough with gun.
Some reach the bottom very fast
and murder just for fun.

I see myself and know I'm not
a 'taker' like the rest.
I know that I'm a 'giver' and
I live among the best.

I once had climbed on pedestal
and stood up straight and tall -
but then I saw what Jesus paid
and that He gave His all.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

January 28, 2016

Penned With Love 1-28-16


Back in a corner, where she hid,
I met a little child, I did.

She was a quiet, fragile child
who never laughed and seldom smiled.

Her eyes were blue, her hair light brown,
but she was hurt and feeling down.

Her clothes were tattered, filled with holes.
like many people and their souls.

I spied her tears when she had cried.
I had not known her mother died.

Her age was eight, or maybe nine.
Her troubles were much more than mine.

I knelt down close to her and said,
"Have you a home?  Have you been fed?"

Despite the crowd that gathered 'round,
our space was quiet - without sound.

I reached deep down in pocket and
I held your poem in my hand.

I opened scrap of paper proud,
then read your poem right out loud.

My eyes became a fuzzy blur.
I know you wrote it just for her.

She reached for me with all her hurt.
I hugged her back, ignoring dirt.

Words can't replace a bed and food
but fills with joy, the attitude.

I haven't seen her for awhile,
but know your poem made her smile.

Though some write many, some write few.
We've penned with love our words to view.
So write your rhymes unselfishly
with kindness, care and empathy.
And don't be hurt when I'm away
out sharing poems day to day.
Much better than some silly toy,
your words, for some, give real joy.

Back in a corner, where she hid,
I met a little child, I did...

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------

January 16, 2016

My Old Hometown Church 1-16-16


There's something that perplexes me
as I, my mem'ries, search,
right here among familiar pews
in my old hometown church.

It's been so many decades now
since I have been around.
Those many years have faded fast
with oh, so little sound.

I sit a-spell and reminisce
in silence that remains,
from walnut pulpit up in front
to stained glass window panes.

The cross behind the pulpit hints
a show of halo's glow.
It seems to be inviting me.
There's much I still don't know.

My eyes drop down in front of me
upon a hymnal book.
I hesitate and ponder some
before I take a look.

Those tunes and words come quickly as
my sorry psyche swims
to words of His "Amazing Grace"
and more familiar hymns.

Familiar are both floor and walls.
Familiar are the lights.
Reflecting back to faces though,
my deepened grief ignites.

So many friends I cannot see.
They've moved or passed away.
No, time and change are not my friends!
How did I go astray?

How many times can God convict
me of my wicked ways?
How many times did I pretend
and did not give God praise?

I crave and plead that time turns back.
It rips my insides out!
It makes me blame somebody else.
It makes me want to shout.

There's something deep down in my gut
that I can't sanitize.
Confession comes, repentance looms
with something in my eyes...

As I stare squarely at myself -
and you know how it goes -
the lightning strikes and thunder roars
as levee overflows.,,

But lonely tears are wiped away,
for love will always be,
as grace holds all of Heaven up
throughout eternity.

My long, sad tears dry from my cheeks
as I, my mem'ries, search,
right here among familiar pews
in my old hometown church.

©2016 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

-------