Many people agree that there are a plethora of problems in society. Whether the problem is the environment, economy or politics, problems become obvious on a day-to-day basis. Similar to these issues, numerous options present themselves to “solve” these issues. The followers of Jesus Christ offer a distinct viewpoint on these problems. This viewpoint has provoked many authors to write poems or short stories inside this field of thought. William Blake and Mark Jarman, two Christian authors, wrote two different stories using their set of ideas developed from Christianity’s beliefs. Christians are encouraged to love in the same way that Jesus Christ loved everybody (Holman Christian Standard Bible, Eph. 5.2, John 13.34). The ultimate message that
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One current issue is the riots that are happening in Baltimore, Maryland. These riots were provoked by the death of Freddie Gray, who was in police custody at the time of the riot. These riots are mostly centered on racial tension between African Americans and Caucasians (TIME). Even though most believe these terrible events surrounding the riots to be unjust and useless in our society, it has shown the moral standings of many of the citizens of the United States. It has also revealed that many of these issues are caused by how certain social groups perceive these issues. These riots have caused many people to voice their opinions upon the handling of our social issues and the approach that should be used to solve this particular set of problems. This voicing of social groups is nothing new to society. Freedom of speech has certainly provided to the evolution of American culture. One example is the use of literature such as poetry to critique the handling of America’s affairs (TIME) William Blake, who lived from 1757 to 1827, uses his writings to critique the role of the Orthodox Church. “The Chimney Sweeper” exemplifies the issues that Blake often critiqued. Many of these issues consist of children labor laws, but if the reader digs further into Blake’s beliefs and the belief system from the Orthodox church at that time, they will find deeper meaning that relate to clear …show more content…
Thankfully, some authors still attempt to reach people using literature. A modern day writer, Mark Jarman, has used his writings to engage his readers in viewing the authors of the Bible in a different manner. Jarman has used his poem, “If I Were Paul”, to challenge his readers to determine the apostle Paul’s true intentions of writing his letters. Jarman writes a letter to modern society and portrays a sense of uncertainty among bits of confidence. This confidence can be determined to be Paul’s confidence in his relationship with God. Like many followers of God, Paul is unsure about his future and where he will be lead to by God, but he knows that God is in control and is doing what is best. Jarman does an amazing job of allowing the reader to experience this realization so the reader can hopefully read the Bible with intentions to learn the true meaning behind the text
One current issue is the riots that are happening in Baltimore, Maryland. These riots were provoked by the death of Freddie Gray, who was in police custody at the time of the riot. These riots are mostly centered on racial tension between African Americans and Caucasians (TIME). Even though most believe these terrible events surrounding the riots to be unjust and useless in our society, it has shown the moral standings of many of the citizens of the United States. It has also revealed that many of these issues are caused by how certain social groups perceive these issues. These riots have caused many people to voice their opinions upon the handling of our social issues and the approach that should be used to solve this particular set of problems. This voicing of social groups is nothing new to society. Freedom of speech has certainly provided to the evolution of American culture. One example is the use of literature such as poetry to critique the handling of America’s affairs (TIME) William Blake, who lived from 1757 to 1827, uses his writings to critique the role of the Orthodox Church. “The Chimney Sweeper” exemplifies the issues that Blake often critiqued. Many of these issues consist of children labor laws, but if the reader digs further into Blake’s beliefs and the belief system from the Orthodox church at that time, they will find deeper meaning that relate to clear …show more content…
Thankfully, some authors still attempt to reach people using literature. A modern day writer, Mark Jarman, has used his writings to engage his readers in viewing the authors of the Bible in a different manner. Jarman has used his poem, “If I Were Paul”, to challenge his readers to determine the apostle Paul’s true intentions of writing his letters. Jarman writes a letter to modern society and portrays a sense of uncertainty among bits of confidence. This confidence can be determined to be Paul’s confidence in his relationship with God. Like many followers of God, Paul is unsure about his future and where he will be lead to by God, but he knows that God is in control and is doing what is best. Jarman does an amazing job of allowing the reader to experience this realization so the reader can hopefully read the Bible with intentions to learn the true meaning behind the text