THOUGHTS ON A LONG NIGHT

ANOTHER SLEEPLESS NIGHT

I’M SPENDING IT

AS I USUALLY DO

PUZZLING OVER THINGS

THAT INTEREST ME

TONIGHT

IT’S

DEATH DYING

AND BEYOND

WHEN CHRIST DIED

THE CREED TELLS US

HE DESCENDED

INTO HELL

SHEOL

HADES

THE LAND OF SHADES

HE WENT THERE TO FREE

TO FREE THE DEAD

THOSE GOOD MEN AND WOMEN

WHO HAD GONE BEFORE

HE CAME TO SET THE CAPTIVES FREE

THE GOATS HE LEFT BEHIND

THEY SELF DIVIDED THEMSELVES

THOSE WHO SAW THE BEATIFIC VISION

AS GOOD

CAME NEAR

THOSE WHO SAW THE BEATIFIC VISION

AS HATEFUL

FLED AWAY

ANOTHER THOUGHT

IS THAT CHRIST

BURDENED WITH ALL THE SINS OF MANKIND

PLUMMETED TO THE LOWER REGIONS OF HEEL

FOR SIN MUST BE ATONED

MUST SUFFER THE PAINS OF HELL

ITS UTTER LONELINESS

AND ABANDONMENT

HAVING TRULY ATONED FOR SIN

HE SET THE CAPTIVES FREE

FROM THE UPPER LEVELS

ONE THOUGHT IS THAT AT DEATH

THERE IS A JUDGMENT

AND ONE IS EITHER ASSIGNED TO HEAVEN

OR HELL

ANOTHER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT SAYS

THAT THE GOOD

MUST UNDERGO A SEASON OF PURGING

FOR SINS UNREPENTANT

LIKE GOSSIP

WHOSE ILL EFFECTS

LINGER ON LONG AFTER THE SINS ARE FORGIVEN

A REMOVAL OF THE SCUFFMARKS

THAT EVIL MAKES ON OUR SOULS

A SORT OF BUFFING

A SORT OF SUNDAY CLOTHES

REQUIRED

TO ENTER HEAVEN

HEAVEN

HELL

AND A PLACE OF PURGING

ARE NOT REAL PLACES

BUT A CONDITION

A STATE OF MIND

THAT A SOUL

TRAVEL WEARY FROM HIS JOURNEY

NEEDS REFRESHING

AND THAT SEPARATION IS SELF INDUCED

THAT THE SOUL

ONCE SEEING GOD

RUES HIS SINS

DISTANCES HIMSELF

AND BURNS WITH PASSION

TO SEE HIM AGAIN

THE THOUGHT OF PURGING IS AS OLD AS CHRISTIANITY

AND BEFORE THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT

WE KNOW THE EARLY CHURCH PRAYED FOR THE DEAD

IF THEY WERE ALREADY IN HEAVEN

WHY PRAY FOR THEM

HEAVEN IS THE PLACE WHERE ALL GOOD SOULS GO

WHETHER DIRECTLY

OR PURGED

THE GOATS REMAIN IN THE ABYSS OF HELL

BUT ANOTHER THOUGHT IS THAT ALL WILL BE SAVED

THAT HELL WILL BE EMPTIED OUT

THAT THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS

WAS SO GREAT

IT COULD WIPE OUT ALL SIN

UNIVERSAL SALVATION

CARRIES WITH IT OVERTONES OF PURGING

AND GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR HIS CREATION

AND GOD’S GREAT LOVE FOR HIS CREATION

COMFORTS ME

NOW IN THE TWILIGHT OF MY LIFE

I HAVE FAILED THE PROVERBIAL SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN

BUT I STILL LOVE GOD

IMPERFECTLY

I CAN PRESUME

GOD LOVES ME

AND WHICHEVER OF MY THOUGHT PROVE TRUE

IF ANY

I KNOW

THAT IN THE MORNING

COMES DAWN AND SUNLIGHT

AND I REST

AND WILL REST

CONTENT

THAT IN HIS GREAT LOVE FOR ME

HE WILL RESCUE ME

AND TAKE ME HOME

FRANK A VOLLMER

FOR OUR SAKE HE BECAME SIN

GOD MADE HIM WHO HAD NO SIN

TO BE SIN

AND HIS FATHER IN HORROR

REJECTED HIM

LEFT HIM LONELY

AND ABANDONED

LIFE WAS LONG EMPTY HALLS

WITH NO SUNLIGHT

BUT THE FATHER FORGAVE HIM ALL OUR SINS

THE VEIL WAS RENT

THE SHEKINAH

RAINED DOWN BLESSINGS

ON ALL

FATHER AND SON

WERE RECONCILED

THE SPIRIT OF LOVE

FLOWED BETWEEN THEM

DEATH HAD NO MORE STING

THE GRAVE

A PORTAL

TO A BETTER LIFE

FRANK A VOLLMER

Jeremiah 12:2

PERHAPS IT WAS THE POLITICAL

AND SOCIAL CONDITION

OF THE COUNTRY

THAT I LOVE

THIS SELF PROCLAIMED

CHRISTIAN NATION

OF GOD FEARING PEOPLE

I’D BEEN READING JEREMIAH FOR LENT

AND THESE WORDS JUMPED OFF THE PAGE

THE WORDS ARE AND I PARAPHRASE

THEY HAVE GOD ON THEIR LIPS

BUT NOT IN THEIR HEART

WHAT A PERFECT DEFINITION

OF OUR TIMES

GOD ON OUR LIPS

BUT NOT IN OUR HEART

PERHAPS EVERY AGE HAS BEEN THIS WAY

BUT I’M LIVING NOW

AND IT’S WRONG

POLITICIANS WHO ARE FOR SOMETHING

UNTIL THE OTHER SIDE AGREES

THEN THEY ARE AGAINST

NO THOUGHT OF THE PEOPLE THEY SERVE

BUT WHO WINS THE POLITICAL GAME

THEY PRATE ABOUT

PRAYER IN SCHOOLS

GOD IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

WHAT GOD

CAN IT ONLY BE JESUS

HAVE CHRISTIANS

WON THE RIGHT

BY CONDUCT

AND SPEAKING OF SCHOOLS

WHEN CHILDREN NEED THE SCHOOL LUNCH

FOR THEIR ONE HOT MEAL

THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR PARENTS

WHO ARE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN

FOR MINIMUM WAGE

WHERE IS JUSTICE

WHEN SENIOR CITIZENS

MUST CHOOSE

BETWEEN FOOD AND MEDICINE

AND THE ALIEN

IN OUR MIDST

HOW HAVE WE TREATED HIM

THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT

ARE REPLETE

WITH THE DIRECTIVE

THAT THE UNFORTUNATE

ARE OUR PRIMARY CONCERN

NOT POWER

NOT WEALTH

THE UNFORTUNATE

IS CHRIST NOT DYING DAILY

IN FACE OF THESE

AND OTHER TRAGEDIES

IS NOT THIS WHAT CHRIST FELT

AS HIS LIFE EBBED OUT

HIS VISION FAILED

THE COOLNESS OF A DYING DAY

SETTLING ON HIM

THE CLOUDS THICKENING

THE WIND BLOWING

MOTHER GIVEN AWAY

HE CRIES

I’M LONELY

DIES AND SAVES US

KNOWING OUR IMPERFECTIONS

OUR DEAF EARS TO HIS CRY

THIS IS OUR TIME

AND OUR TASK

TO SAY

WITH YOUR HELP

I AM WITH YOU

TO BRING ABOUT

WHAT YOU DIED FOR

FRANK A VOLLMER