Disappointed

Perhaps God (aka God the Parent) was disappointed
When they told men
“I am nourishing, like breasts”
And men missed the point
Men insisted on male pronouns for God
believing
Anyone with that much power & influence
Must be male and prefer male pronouns.

Perhaps Jesus was disappointed
When he told the Jewish leaders
“The way you use power is evil”
And they had him crucified,
Proving his point.

Perhaps Paul was disappointed
When he wrote letters about Jesus
And people used them as an excuse
To not take Jesus’ own words
At face value.

Perhaps James was disappointed
When he said
“Jesus is right: it’s what you do that matters!”
And instead of listening
Christians suggested his letter
Shouldn’t be in the Bible at all.

Perhaps John was disappointed
When he wrote down a bizarre vision
That was beautiful yet terrifying
And instead of editing out the scary bits
Christians used them
To intimidate others into conformity.

I know I was disappointed
Actually, no, not disappointed,
Broken-hearted
When, as a baby Christian,
I listened to some Christianity 101 cassette tapes
And heard
Jesus won’t love you
Unless you give up your right to ask questions
When something doesn’t make sense.

I know I was disappointed
Actually no, not disappointed,
Broken-hearted
When I had to choose between
My Christian friends
And – literally – my sanity.

I am still disappointed
But no longer broken-hearted
I no longer feel alone
Since God The Parent
Jesus
Paul
James & John
Said to me –
Just kidding, it wasn’t them,
It was Jim Henderson –
“Been there, done that
Got the T-Shirt
Here’s a tissue to wipe your eyes with”.

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