This piece is a synthesis of religiosity and politics. It is as much commentary, as it is an open letter to those that would kill in the name of righteousness for, in the end, belief cannot be forced into a soul. Would a rose of a different color smell as sweet? Is a God, a God regardless of religious trappings or what name they are given? The zealots will be zealots regardless of words. This is for the innocents. Happy Easter.

Jonah and the Great Fish
(A parable of reminder for Christians, Jews and Muslims)

 

This is a tale of a man and a whale
If you read what I write, you’ll receive it
It comes from the Book, of the Christians and Jews
And the Muslims, who choose to believe it

As it is told, back in days gone of olde
God told Jonah to pick up and preach
To the sinners of Nineveh, so they’d repent
After hearing the lessons he’d teach

Jonah said, “I’m confused. God your flock is abused.
And the Ninevites need to be slain
And the ones that remain, won’t serve idols again
And won’t threaten to cause us more pain

So Jonah booked passage, upon a small ship
He ignored God’s commandment, and sailed
With some pagan, idolatrous sailors and then
The seas rose and the wind blew and wailed

The sailors beseeched, all their Gods to relent
But no words would affect the great gale
And then Jonah awoke from his sleep and he spoke,
“It is I God intends to assail!”

“And since it is me, which has caused this to be
Throw my body, at once oer’ the side.”
But the pagans would not, they would share Jonah’s lot
Not for naught, if they lived or they died.

Jonah convinced all his shipmates the weather
They wished for, would quickly resume
So they slipped Jonah over the side with regret
For a great fish to find and consume,

For three days Jonah prayed, in “the belly of Hell”
And he thought, until he realized
That God doesn’t hate infidels or poor sinners
He waits, till learn they learn to be wise

The fish coughed up Jonah, upon God’s commandment
And left him awash on the beach
And the prophet made haste, to the Ninevite’s kingdom
And then Jonah started to preach

He said “As I give to you God’s Holy word
as a seed to implant in your minds.”
“It is I who has learned that the Lord has a wisdom
to follow and not to be spurned.”

And so there it is, and now here’s a pop-quiz
For the Christians and Muslims and Jews
It’s not meant for men, to decide who is righteous
And kill and to maim and abuse

God only knows of the goodness of those
Who might worship a diff-er-ent view
As for killing an infidel; STOP IT RIGHT NOW!
It is written, it’s not up to you

I offer this rhyme, to the world in this time
And to all that my message might reach
Under all kinds of steeples, while preaching to peoples
Please practice the words that you preach

Jeff Burkhart’s “Rhyme and Reason”
© Copyright, April, 2017
All Rights Reserved