ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

Soon our nation will be celebrating its 250th birthday. Really not a very long time in the scheme of things. It is however a time of immense change and opportunity. The American dream has been realized by many, but there is still suffering, poverty, addiction, fear and hatred. It seems the negative attributes of a nation take over quickly and eat away at its glory in a very short period of time. We can learn from the past. We can try to change the way things are, but sin will continue to run rampant until Jesus returns again. The painting in this post was created as a backdrop for a play, “Such A Time As This,” a musical play about Esther from the Bible. Paul not only did paintings for walls, but he created scenery for many of my plays. A city can look like it’s thriving on the outside, but Satan still has a hold on this world. We are in a constant battle between good and evil. I pray that our country will go on for many years. I also pray that God will watch over us.

It was at the height of its opulence, this city from of old,

It commanded respect and attention, its streets were paved with gold,

It shone like the brilliant sun in the sky, reflecting its bright rays,

Within the dark shadows, secrets survived, infesting all the days.

The brilliance soon disappeared from all sight, as darkness slithered in,

No one realized what was happening, knew nothing of this sin,

The ominous shadows penetrated the brilliance of the day,

Corruption and greed encapsulated and sent the good away.

That once shining and glorious city, no longer casts its light,

What remains are shards of days long ago, decay, great loss and blight,

If only the fire had been overseen, by those within her gate,

Perhaps a flame would rise from the embers, and new life would create.

We should learn from our own sweet history, but we often fail the test,

We think that we have the perfect answers, we think that we know best,

Instead of trusting our almighty God, we struggle and we fall,

Still patience abides in His gracious love, His love is meant for all.