The gods war
They have always warred
We conceive of them
Attempting to explain the godlikeness in us
Our love and our violence
In war, gods die
Some gods persist; Israel’s very name
They war in us, we their instruments
With violence and blood in our heats and hands
What else might we do but seek a loving god?
This is why our gods must die
Death and life and love
The victor and his god
Rise in redemption, in the name of love
A lie, a story of love in place of a the murderous truth
Kill god if you will, with your god of tools
When we wage war again
And if you win
Your god will rise too in the name of ‘love’
When tool versus tool constructs our hell
We will see our god again:
From violence, peace
We will hold up on high the most high thing
The symbol of peace, the lie, returned
against the violence in our hearts
The gods have always warred
Because we have always warred
Israel; God Prevails
Emmanuel; God with us
Victorious the people, victorious the god