A Brood Of Vipers Poem by Gert Strydom

While working as a senior accountant
at the head office of a major worldwide religion:

I have seen colleagues
running to tell tales
which were fibs, slandering others
to get their own way,

using the name of God
in prayer and twisting
His arm,
to get their own way
as if their words are His,

(smiling in friendship
while stabbing the knife
in the back) ,

meddling with salaries and pensions
to defraud and decrease
stipulated payments
(trying to stop this on my own) ,

I have seen a married girl
sitting on the lap
of her boss
to get a promotion,

I have heard the president
of a conference
talking about people
behind their backs
after happily receiving
donations for the church
and saw the anger in his eyes
when I admonished him
and those that talked along,

I have been told by a minister
in high office in the church
about my personal circumstances
that God pours His rain
over the unjust as well,

I have seen people
walking over others
in the Christian way
and still they had the audacity
to want to pray with me
and put their arms
around my shoulders
and thought that they were holy
and have the truth.

[Reference: “In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 'Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. And you say, `If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 'You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? ” Matthew 23: 28-33]