“Your faith alone I envy you”,
(My doubting friend was speaking);
“You’ve found yourself a firmer rock
Than I, for years of seeking.
“I’ve gone these years from this to that,
To try and pin down one thing
To buoy me up and give me strength–
At least, you b’lieve in something!
“You seem to always find some shred
Of hope, when I’m past hoping;
A ray of light to guide and lead,
While I’m in darkness, groping.
“Let’s take this Easter story, now–
For you who can believe it,
It symbolizes what we call
Your faith, as I perceive it:
“Christ’ s suffering, end the ridicule, —
Your anguish, fears and sorrow;
The Resurrection shows you what
Your faith can bring tomorrow;
“His Cross,– the sacrifice you make;
The nails,–the pain of living;
His dying proves that all the joy
You’ll find here lies in giving.
“It must be fine to feel, like you,
That faith will cure our troubles;
That Love alone can make it seem
Our cares are only bubbles.
“Now all of this is swell for you,
But I shall go on seeking
Some other code, some creed that stands
Alone, with logic reeking.”
My friend’s sincere, but what gets me
Is, he’s so inconsistent:
If he can see this faith in me–
Is Truth from him so distant?
And he’s an advertising man:
His every institution
Includes a phrase that he should know:–
“Accept no substitution!”
–written for March (Easter) 1942
“Crusader”
by Ray Romine Sunday, March 1, 1942
