by Ariel Douglas (14 November 2014)

You speak as though you know him,

but we all know that you don’t.

I try to tell you about him,

but I’m not allowed a full sentence.

You don’t know that pain I see in him,

but it’s not that big of a deal to you.

It’s a huge deal to me; I feel it in my soul,

but you brush it off.

You don’t know the things he’s told me,

but you say you have a reason for his actions.

You don’t know the feelings,

but I’ve felt them all before.

You don’t know what he’s been through,

but you judge him right away.

His soul is dark and bleeding,

but you say give him sunshine and vitamins.

His mind is tattered and frazzled,

but you act like he’s really okay.

You act like you’re paying attention,

but I can tell that you really aren’t.

Shame on you, uncaring Christians!

Why do I even try?

You say that you’ll pray for him,

but your actions say otherwise.

You say you’ve seen this before,

but that’s a lie; you’ve never seen him before.

He is unique and special and his story is his own,

but you’re treating this story like another case study in another textbook.

He is loved individually by God,

but to you he’s just another face in the crowd.

You don’t know a thing about him,

but you’re diagnosing him now.

You don’t even know his first name,

but you act like you’ve studied him for years.

You treat this like it’s nothing-a little child’s game-

but this isn’t a game; it’s a real threat to a real soul.

You act like these things shock you,

but your words tell me differently.

I came for support and maybe some godly advice,

but instead I got an earful of pseudo diagnoses and speculations.

You claim you care about the people on those cards,

but I’ve yet to see proof of indiscrimination.

You say you know God’s word and will,

but all I hear is spewed nonsense.

How can you say you care

when you won’t take the time to listen?

You can never know someone’s heart

lest you take time to listen.

I listen, all right, because all you do is talk.

Talk, talk, talk, and it’s all vague meanings and misguided thoughts.

Never again, you’ve destroyed my trust.

I will not come to you for advice,

you’ve proved to be full of pseudo-love.

You’ve no problem caring for adults and their needs,

adults who are dying without Christ.

But teens? They don’t matter.

No, they get no words; they have no value.

He IS dying. Who knows when he’ll try again?

But he doesn’t matter because he’s an impressionable teen.

I am doing all I can for him,

fighting desperately on his behalf.

But your dry-rotted “wisdom” and “faith”

are doing nothing for his heart.

Thus, your reliability is ruined for me,

I shan’t consult you again.

I will consult those whose godliness is evident,

though they be much younger than you.

I’ve seen God work through them,

but through you, I’ve seen gossip, speculation, and apathy;

from you I’ve seen vague meanings and misguided thoughts.