Why should we give you praise?

Why should we give you praise?

For what?

Should we praise you for COVID?

Should we praise you for the war in Ukraine?

Should we praise you for mass incarceration?

Or for homelessness?

Should we praise you for anger?

Or the kids that go to bed hungry at night?

Should we praise you for abuse, for rot, for cancer?

Why should we praise you?

Are you worthy of praise?

Do you need our praise?

What would it accomplish?

We praise the mother who nourishes her child before herself.

We praise those who volunteers for others when they themselves are in need.

We praise the activists, caregivers, and whistleblowers.

We praise empathy, true love, and sacrifice.

We praise nature, quiet moments, and a gentle caresse.

Does this mean we also praise you?

You cannot be both all-powerful and all good.

That is an oxymoron.

If you were, then evil would not exist.

Certainly not on this scale.

We don’t believe you value our free will that much.

If you did, you would hear our cries for a world without all this suffering.

Why does the free will of the powerful outweigh the will of the people?

Did you consider we may not want what you have created!

Perhaps one can’t enjoy the good without the bad.

But there are limits.

If you are to be exalted, we must raise up your evil with your goodness.

We don’t believe we are primarily at fault.

Haven’t we served our time?

Give us freedom without so much pain.

Then we might find you worthy of our praise.