Discovering land for king and country
Endorsed by the church
Subjecting the Indigenous Peoples
Exacting tribute
Demanding payment
Brutal enforcement
Unrelenting
.
Mercilessly enforcing compliance
Through beating
Through depravation
Through rape
Through murder
Blessed are the merciful…
.
Not Terra Nullius
Not empty land
Not desolate wilderness
Rather
Land being emptied
Land being plundered
Social structures being undone
A civilization being stripped
Being laid bare
… for they shall be shown mercy
.
With the blessing of the church
A disguise for greed
Validated by absent authorities
A misguided message
A disguise for personal gain
.
No respect for racial diversity
Not out of love for the lost soul
Treating the ‘other’ as second class
Land rights not respected
Intruders, foreigners, aliens
Living entitlement to the extreme
Misguided need for power
Blessed are the meek…
.
What spirit of hope is lost
What valuable lives are trashed
What spirit of caring is squandered
… for they shall inherit the earth
.
Truth and Reconciliation
As hurts are shared
As brokeness lives laid bare
As lost generations cry out
Will it reach receptive ears
Blessed are those who mourn…
.
The Calls to Action
Carefully laid out
A pathway forward
Inviting all races to join hands
… for they shall be comforted
.
As resources are depleted
As old growth forests are laid bare
As fracking extracts gasses
While poisoning the water
When will we be sated
How long will the plundering continue
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
.
We hear cries for sustainability
Take only what you need
Give us this day our daily bread
Leave enough for others
Leave something for the next generation
And the next generation
And the next
… for they shall be filled
.
Jasper Hoogendam (c) November 2022
Living in God's Pocket with ABI 