Oppressor

A few years ago, I wrote a poem that talks about what the devil, the enemy of our soul, works to produce in us (see John 10:10)... I called it "Oppressor." Recently, I started rereading, and discussing, C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters with my adult daughter and was reminded of this poem. Jesus Christ came that we might have life, a type of life that is poisonous to the oppressor!

As we think about the events of what Christians call Holy Week, Jesus' words about his body and his blood demonstrated in his acts of service and represented in the last supper (Holy Communion) prompt me to share this poem here.

                                Oppressor
       An oppressor comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

 Always taking, breaking,

      Always twisting, taunting,

            Always feeding off of the multi-layered hurts inflicted:

                Physical—pain, bruising, scars, disability;

                Emotional—acids of discouragement, anger, fear, grief, hate;

                Social—isolation, prejudice, betrayal; and

                Spiritual—despair, disbelief. 

And when he has consumed all that he can, he leaves us numb,

Drones, to mindlessly, heartlessly

Work for him until we die.

Zombies, walking dead already,

In our pain and hunger, we deliver him his next meal.

Until Life came giving and died, 

To be our next meal.

Forever turning the oppressor's stomach.

© Greg K. Dueker