Compassion Confounded Poem by Mary Champion

Theirs' was ever a jealous god -
a god of vengeance
whose justice was without mercy
and all the people lived in fear.

I told them of another god -
full of forgiveness-
a God of boundless compassion -
disarmed their god and cast out fear-

brought love to ease their grievous wounds,
to lessen their pain.
Multitudes embraced this God -
and shed the shackles of their fear.
But then appeared my enemies -
the pestilent priests
whose justice is without mercy
and all the people live in fear.

The lion that I made a lamb
forgot my service.
The roaring beast that is religion
rose from the pit I cast it in.