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Jim McCrory

Oh Rascal Children of Gaza: The Poem That Made Me Weep

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Edited by Jim McCrory, Monday, 12 Aug 2024, 13:45


“Allow the little children, 

and don’t forbid them to come to me; 

for the Kingdom of Heaven 

belongs to ones like these.” 

 Matthew 19:13 (WEB).


 I was staying at Loch Awe in Scotland’s west coast at the weekend — certainly, a contrast from the image above. But allow me to explain. First may I say that I am non-political; I do not vote for reasons that I am a Christian and do not dare to share in the sins of others.

Anyway, with that explained I will continue with my story. On Saturday evening we took a drive and eventually  entered Inverawe Country Park and smokery, it’s a place you could miss with the blink of an eye. But there, apart from the pretty walk, we found this lovely café where we stopped for coffee.

Having studied literature at university, I was in my element. The bookshelves were filled with many of the classics. But it was the poems that were dispersed around the room that caught my attention and there was one that made me weep. It was called Oh Rascal Children of Gaza by Khalid Juma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM3PhZM3OAs

I cannot fathom the pain a child experiences when they suddenly lose their family.

Meanwhile, I witness petty arguments on the street. Silly bickering within families. Disputes in the workplace over insignificant, fleeting issues. when our attention and energy is better focused on the critical matters affecting our world, such as every child's right to grow up in peace and security.

 

 

 



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