The Value of Man: A Poem based on the Bible story where Jesus frees a man possessed by demons by casting the demons into a herd of swine. Mark 5:1-20 or Matthew 8:28-34
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He wandered among the tombs,
Possessed of heart, body, mind,
No chains nor shackles,
Were strong enough to bind.
Night and day he cried out,
By the tombs and in the hills,
And though many had tried,
None could hold him still.
Then a stranger came ashore,
A man from Galilee,
With friends upon a wooden boat,
They crossed the unruly sea.
The man fell down upon his face,
And then cried aloud,
All were taken aback at this,
For in his voice, a crowd.
For mercy cried the demons,
Those who lived therein,
To the swine we beg you cast us,
Please not to hell again.
Their plea by Him was heeded,
Though malice was in the plan,
Destroy the town's possessions,
And
He will feel the wrath of man.
Headlong went the livestock,
Over cliffs into the sea,
The man sat dazed and staring,
Once again living and free.
"Be gone" cried the townsfolk,
When word had reached their ears.
"You have thus destroyed us,
For this one who sits so near."
Taking leave He turned to go,
And the man turned that way,
But He
admonished him to spread the word,
And for this the man did stay.
Hard hearts can be created,
When value is seen in things,
And when a man is but little,
Compared to a herd of pigs.
Take heed to value souls,
And put pieces in their place,
Lest those wandering demons,
Come to rest behind
thy face.
More poetry is available from James M. Hahn in
The Last Dragon and Other Poems available now.
How to get better at prayer.
- Set a prayer appointment - Set a time on your calendar each day to meet and speak with God.
- Slowly increase your prayer time. - Don't jump in with an hour right from the get-go. Build up your "tolerance" so to speak.
- Commit - to praying and slowly increasing your prayer time for 30 days. Mark off the days on your calendar. If you miss a day, jump right back in, don't give up.
- Pray - praying is talking to God, it's spending time with your attention focused on Him. I enjoy spending time with my children regardless of their level of development. God is the same way. Spend time praying as best you can. Use formal prayers if you want or simply speak in conversation. Don't forget to listen
- Journal - Our newly revised 4 Simple Steps to Better Scripture Meditations: Guide, Workbook, and Journal walks you through 4 easy steps that will help you go deeper in your prayer life. It includes 31 days of workbook and journal pages too!
- Read other good books about how to pray better - Prayer Primer, Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer, Time for God, The Spiritual Life: A Comprehensive Guide to Catholics Seeking Salvation
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FictionCheck out his
ongoing memoir about life with his special-needs daughter.
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