Dear Lord

Dear Lord,

You know how strange it feels to write to you today
As if I had no answers, as if you'd gone away
As if there was no-one to ever hear my prayer
Today, or else tomorrow, or now or indeed ne'er.

You know, when I see pain, I think you don't exist,
And then I see the void, and sometimes, through the mist
I find that great "out there", and look at you in wonder ...
I hear your kind voice projecting through the thunder.

You dwell in all that is, and live through beauty fair
You make your being known to us forever and e'er,
And yet, with so much pain, I have to ask, you see,
My Lord, my Lord, my Lord ... why hast forsaken me?

There are so many souls that hurt today the most
And so it feels, my dear Father, Son, Holy Ghost,
As if we're left behind, though you but blessed be,
To suffering in silence and inequality.

To say you don't exist is the easy way out;
To negate all I know, or at the least to doubt,
Would be over-simplistic, for I know you are there
Ruling on us above, forever beyond compare.

And therefore I say to you, oh Father Lord,
Thy Kingdom, Will be done, with heavenly accord
But please, remember, God, our bread today to give
For we may pray to you, but also need to live.

I know I'm only small compared t'infinity,
And therefore, through my tears, I give but praise to Thee;
Remember, though, that small though my pains seem to be
They are so very real, unbearable, you see.

To pray too much I shun, for you must know my thoughts,
Deny you I will not, for God does not draw lots;
If you exist, you do whether I believe or not;
If you are not out there, I haven't lost a jot.

And yet, behind the chaos, there is implicate order;
Behind the hellish pain, there's something over yonder
For every ugly thing, there's beauty to be seen
For every pain some comfort, I'd like to think, I mean.

So, Father, take away the pain, that's if you can,
Stop innocents from hurting, on Earth as it's in Heaven,
Deliver us from evil, from hurt and misery
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Name forever hallowed be.