Guilt and Gratitude



Another apple that fell almost fully formed as I listened to Karine Polwart in her concert last week... in this case I don't know exactly which song or line prompted it...




I carry guilt and gratitude in equal measure
Both generally ignored
For different reasons
While I get on with life

Guilt when I read of the poor of the world
And watch the wars waged on prime time TV
Gratitude when I consider
The prosperity and peace I enjoy

Guilt when I hear of the struggles
Of previous generations
Gratitude when I consider
The comparative ease of my life

Guilt when I look at the legacy
we are leaving to our children
Gratitude when I consider
The world into which I was born

Guilt when I speak to the victims
Of our recent local conflicts
Gratitude when I consider
The few miles and education that kept me and mine safe.

Guilt and gratitude
Pointless if periodic
Prompting swift, if heartfelt, prayers
But making no difference
To a life lived now
And in the future

David A. Campton © 2009


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Woman of no Distinction

Don't often post other people's stuff here... But I found this so powerful that I thought I should. It's a performance poem based on John 4: 4-30, and I have attached the original YouTube video below. A word for women, and men, everywhere... "to be known is to be loved, and to be loved is to be known."


I am a woman of no distinction
of little importance.
I am a women of no reputation
save that which is bad.

You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances,
Though you don’t really take the time to look at me,
Or even get to know me.

For to be known is to be loved,
And to be loved is to be known.
Otherwise what’s the point in doing
either one of them in the first place?

I WANT TO BE KNOWN.

I want someone to look at my face
And not just see two eyes, a nose,
a mouth and two ears;
But to see all that I am, and could be
all my hopes, loves and fears.

But that’s too much to hope for,
to wish for,
or pray for
So I don’t, not anymore.

Now I keep to myself
And by that I mean the pain
that ke…
Read more

A Psalm for Sunday: Praise to the Lord who Listens...

Image
This has been a tough week. It began with my birthday but any celebrations were somewhat subdued because I awoke to the news that one of my brothers had been taken in for radical surgery. He then went to ICU where he has been all week. I and all the family are so grateful for the excellent care he has been receiving, from the surgeons, the ICU consultants and nurses, the physios and the whole team.  Our NHS is amazing. The picture was fairly bleak at first, and whilst things are somewhat better now he is still not "out of the woods." But it was interesting that material I had already prepared for worship and other prayers and pieces of scripture that I read, some of which I have posted here, have been remarkably apposite for all that I and the rest of the family have been going through. For various reasons we have been very coy about making any details public and even now I don't want to go into details, but prayers have been and continue to be valued. But again, in prepa…
Read more

I am the True Vine

Image
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful... Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."


John 15:1-8 (ANIV)





In the mid 19th century, while Ireland was laid waste by potato blight, imported from America, France was devastated by another American pest…
Read more