The God Of Empire

The God of Empire
Twists the Christian story
To make wealth a virtue
As Gods in corporate oligarchy
Warp Christ’s teachings
Into a self serving theocracy

Where poverty is a character flaw
Where critical thought
Is a criminal conspiracy
Where empathy is weakness
Where serving others is conditional
Where narrative challenge is criminal
Where civil rights is a fallacy
Where one faith is pristine

When Doubting Thomas
Questions authority
Questions reality
When in truth it is Honest Thomas
Who needs validation of unbelievable

In a church pew sits a man
Un scrubbed and isolated
Who reveals a camera lens
Through which I see
A sax player
A female pastor teaching
The miracle of resurrection
As each shot creates a memory

There is no one questioning his presence
He flips pages of a children's bible
Quietly observing a congregation
Worship Christ’s teachings
Where wealth is not a gateway
Towards salvation

For a moment I see Christ
Disguised as an eccentric soul
Sitting in a church pew
Quietly observing his message
Where no god of empire resides



Poetry by Kee Zealy The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 141 times
star mini Editors' choice
Written on 2026-04-13 at 09:18

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Sameen The PoetBay support member heart!
Amen
2026-05-04


Editorial Team The PoetBay support member heart!
Your poem has been chosen to be featured on the home page of PoetBay. Thank you for posting on our poetry website!
2026-04-20


Alan J Ripley The PoetBay support member heart!
A very thoughtful poem,
Well written.
2026-04-14


Melinda K Zarate The PoetBay support member heart!
What a powerful poem, Kee. Very well written. The homeless man woven into the imagery after the list in stanza two really stood out to me.
Sincerely,
Melinda
2026-04-13



Clever of you to not use too many specific names, just a few to clue. This is my response to what you have expressed:
Kee, there is actually a very long list with many individuals on it. It is nothing new.

Perhaps this article may shed some light for understanding. Truly, there's nothing new under the sun.

https://sojo.net/articles/opinion/religion-and-power-were-intertwined-then-jesus-challenged-it-all


Imho, it began here:

Emperor Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire by issuing the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D.... Along with co-emperor Licinius, he granted legal rights and religious tolerance to Christians, ending state-sponsored persecution. This pivotal action allowed Christianity to grow and flourish.

Key Details Regarding the Legalization:

The Edict of Milan (313 AD): This decree established full religious tolerance for Christianity and all other faiths, ensuring the protection of Christians within the empire.

Constantine's Personal Beliefs: While often considered the first Christian emperor, Constantine continued to allow pagan worship and did not make Christianity the sole official state religion.

Advancing the Church: He protected Christians, funded the building of churches, and influenced civil law to reflect Christian principles (such as making Sunday a holiday).

Beyond Legalization: While Constantine legalized it, Emperor Theodosius I later declared Christianity the official state religion in 380 A.D....
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Christ is real, while religion is man's tool for controlling man.

Many claim Christ yet do not have much foundational knowledge of the truth, instead receive a translated, twisted interpreted version. Most are clueless to the contents and the cultures and the history of that 1st century setting. It has resulted in many varying Christian Doctrines [of which I am not the judge of the seekers' conclusions being shared, not yours, not Trump's-- no one's. It is between you and God, not you and me, not you and Trump. Everyone has opinions and frankly speaking, most are wrong but wallow in it as fact. SMH]
2026-04-13


Griffonner The PoetBay support member heart!
I loved this. It typifies my belief that a creator, knowing everything, can manifest as anything... and IS everything anyway! But you make this easily envisaged. Very powerful when you think about it. If only societal influences were negated. Blessings, Allen
2026-04-13