The Voice

Are you in trouble today?

2011-05-30T11:00:00.002+05:30

If you are in trouble today, do not want to avoid it. Experience the difficulty that God intended for you and learn from the pain, as all divine lessons are taught in pain.

The more knowledge, the more grief

2011-05-30T10:56:00.001+05:30

The danger of extreme wisdom lies in the arrogance that accompanies that wisdom. Arrogance leads to folly, and folly results in sin.

Working for God

2011-05-30T10:50:00.001+05:30

Whatever courage or madness that is required to live apart from the world, I, Samuel Godfrey George have it.

The Beginning of Sam (The Prelude to "Samuel Godfrey George - Seven Years In The Making)

2011-04-19T23:35:00.003+05:30

I was born to Balasundaram Ganesan, the third child of a Hindu and Hannah Evangeline Susheela Pandian, the third child of a Christian. My father Ganesan converted to Christianity and accepted the name, "George Godfrey." But after his marriage to Susheela, he continued to worship his Hindu god and retained his Hindu name. Susheela, my mother, also retained her maiden name, and was only unofficially Susheela George. My father was in his early forties and my mother in her late thirties when I was born. I, Samuel Surender, was born in the year 1972 in India, seven months after the death of my Uncle Edwin Pandian, who perished tragically in a road accident. My grandfather, J.P. Pandian, named me Samuel, as I was the son of his daughter Hannah. I was raised in a small house by my parents.

My first hair was dedicated to a Hindu god by my father. As a child, I do not remember being taken to a Hindu temple by my father, who allowed me to be raised as a Christian. However I grew up among Hindus and was familiar with their gods. I was particularly fascinated by the lord Ganesha. I used to keep his idol in my home during his festival called "Vinayaka Chathurthi". I would sit before the decorated Ganesha and admire him just as a Hindu would. I also witnessed a few Hindu pujas performed by the families of my friends. I have accompanied them to their temples, and though I do not recollect clearly, I may have bowed down to their gods and accepted the temple "prasadam", which is the temple food offered to the gods, and may have even worn the "vibudhi" or the sacred powder that the Hindus apply on their forehead. As a child and as a young man, I loved to eat the "Tirupathi laddu", which is made in a famous Hindu temple, and is therefore sacred to the Hindus.

As a boy, I went to church with my mother Susheela and my aunt Mary Helen Indra Pandian. My father occasionally accompanied us. I did not particularly like the church or the Sunday School. I liked to be with my mother and my aunt, who remain with me even now. They taught me Christian songs and prayers. My mother used to be play an active role in a Christian fellowship at her office. I used to accompany her sometimes to these Christian meetings. But I was not interested in Jesus Christ. I did not find Christ in these meetings or at my mother's church. I also did not see any evidence of Christ in the way we lived our lives.

As a child I had a dream. In this dream I was floating in the sky. And I saw a huge train of fire rage across the sky. It was an awesome sight, and I cried out to the fire in English, a language that I then did not know well. "I WILL SERVE YOU!", I shrieked to my Lord God Jehovah Jesus Holy Spirit, as He raced past me. Soon after the dream, I sat at the entrance of my house, looking up at the sky. "I want to see Jesus. I want to see Him now!", I said repeatedly to my father. He comforted me with a promise. "You will see Him someday", he said. And the mad desire to see Jesus soon left me.

As a young boy I grew sick. I had a mysterious illness. An old woman who lived nearby passed away at that time. As I lay sick, my parents heard me say that I saw the dead woman. My eyes were red and my body was weak. I did not allow my mother and my aunt to see me. I only allowed my father to be with me. I hated the sight of light, and lay in darkness. I refused to eat, and then one of my mother's friends offered me a soft drink, and I accepted it. They took me to a doctor, and he gave me medicine. I was soon "all right".

My grandfather, J.P. Pandian, who was my mother's father came to live with us. He was an extraordinary man who achieved much. He was a great storyteller and a lover of Christ. He told many stories and sang many songs. He had plenty of listeners, as all were drawn to him. My grandfather called me "Sam Swami", which meant "Sam the holy man". I loved him and admired him. When he passed away, I leaned against my father, and cried.

During the time my grandfather was with us, I had an accident. A boy I was playing with struck me in the eye with a sharp object. The white of my eye suffered damage, and I lost vision in one of my eyes. My parents and my aunt took me to a hospital, where a doctor told my father that I was destined to see the world with only one of my eyes. My father broke down. That was the first time I saw him cry. And he was crying for me. The Lord did not abandon me. They took me to another doctor, an expert, who was a Christian. He examined me and found that my injury was operable. He had me admitted to an eye hospital. He performed a major eye surgery on me, at the stroke of noon, when a church nearby chimed its bell. My mother and my aunt knelt in prayer outside the operation theater. A few hours later I was back, and the operation was successful. I remember the moment, when I lifted my bandage slightly, against the instruction of the doctor, and saw through my operated eye, and discovered that my vision was back.

I regained my vision but I went blind in another way. I began to be sexually conscious. I started to desire people sexually. I developed the habit of masturbation at a young age, probably before I was ten. I indulged in this activity, and it became the primary interest in my life.

I also developed a love for the English language. I desired to speak it not like an Indian, but like an Englishman. I was drawn to the British and desired to live in England. My mother directed me to a pronoucing dictionary, and my aunt bought me my first pronouncing dictionary. I learned the phonetic notation, and guessed the pronunciation of English words from their transcriptions. I did not always learn correctly. But I learned avidly and determinedly.

My father took me out of my non-Christian school, and placed me in a Christian school. It was a school run by nuns, and it exposed me more to Christianity. Before I took my tenth standard examination, which is the school leaving certificate in India, I changed my name from Samuel Surender to Samuel George, to eliminate the Indianness from my name, so that it will sound more like the British whom I loved.

My father placed me in a Christian higher secondary school after I successfully obtained my school leaving certificate. It is in this school that I did something unusual. I observed that individual students were allowed to present a bible reading and a prayer at the morning assembly of students and teachers. I desired to present a little more than a bible reading and a prayer, mainly because I wanted to flaunt my British accent of English. I not only read the Bible, but I also added my commentary to it. I began to preach. My presentations were most unusual, and every eye was on me. My headmaster was stunned, and told my parents that I was destined to be a VVIP , a very very important person. I continued to make my presentations throughout that year. It was incredible how the Lord and His Word became a major part of my life, though I did not particularly love God or understand His Word. One of my school mates, who considered himself to be an atheist, attacked me constantly, and questioned my faith. I had absolutely no defence to offer, as I myself did not understand God and did not have any significant knowledge of Him. Our interactions led me to examine my faith or the absence of it seriously. And I made a decision to stop my morning presentations at school abruptly.

After I left school and joined college, I steadily moved away from faith. The atheist classmate continued his association with me, and we soon became friends. We went to the same college, and shared similar ideas regarding God and Christianity. We made fun of all Christians, and considered them to be fools. We ridiculed the Jesuits who ran the college, and privately troubled some of them with questions that they could not satisfactorily answer. I labelled myself an atheist, but I attacked God as though I believed in Him. I called him names, and spared no expletive in describing Him.

My life at home steadily decreased in quality. I began to despise my father. I found him to be an ignorant man and was ashamed to be associated with him. To a certain degree, I was even ashamed of my mother and my aunt, as they too seemed well below my level of knowledge. My father and I rarely communicated. I hated him as he had insulted me on many occasions. When I chose to study English, he opposed me severely and cursed me that I will not amount to anything in life. "Mark my words. You will be a good-for-nothing!" he said. I withdrew from him gradually, and never bothered to introduce him to anyone. I began to look at another man as my father. He was a friend from my church. He spoke to me kindly, and was delighted with my ability to speak and write English. He encouraged me and directed me to greater understanding. He also spent time with me, and showed me that he cared for me. There was also another man at my church, who helped me discover my identity. He helped uncover many mistakes, both spiritual and linguistic. I slowly began to correct myself.

After I completed my studies, I started to work as a teacher of English in a school. I became an instant success, largely because of my Britishness and my friendly personality. My students adored me and I adored them and we became close. Later I taught at a college, and the intensity of my association with students continued. As a teacher, I projected myself as an atheist, or at least a mocker of God. I rarely discussed morality with my students, and distinguished myself as particularly "amoral", as I had little regard for conventions and traditions, and even frequently spoke the unspeakable in class. Because I loved my students in an intense manner, I clashed with the authorities that ran the college. I left my job, and decided not to teach at least for a while.

I decided to enrol on a doctoral programme in linguistics. I left my parents and came to another city to conduct my doctoral research. My aunt, Mary Helen Indra, accompanied me. It is here in this city, right in the middle of my PhD research, I discovered God. My interest in God was stimulated by Christian television, which I began to watch at this time. Initially I was amused by these programs that featured healing services, which I believed to be staged. Soon I noticed the reaction on people's faces and began to ask myself this question: "What if this Jesus is real?" Discarding my atheistic disdain, I started to pray casual prayers to God. And my prayers were answered. Excited by my discovery of God I walked into a Christian exhibition. There I saw a Bible that I knew I had to buy.

I always thought the Bible was a most uninteresting book, not fit for reading. But after I bought my new Bible at the exhibition, my attitude changed, and it changed dramatically. The Bible that I read was in modern English, and was presented in a way that would attract the young believer. I started to read it, as I would read a novel. I abandoned everything. I even abandoned my doctoral research to read my Bible.

God began to speak to me. He appeared to me in dreams. He once appeared as a big bird and alighted on me. Then He appeared to me as a gigantic bearded man and laid His hand on my forehead. As I read His word, I received my instruction. He told me clearly to abandon my sexual desires that were leading me astray. He demanded that I destroy all the pictures that I had collected to fuel my sexual instinct. I resisted Him and pleaded with Him. But because I loved Him, I destroyed most of my collection. But some remained to lure me again. For years I moved forward and backward. I pursued the way of sin, and abandoned it temporarily for the way of God. I went back to sin, then came back to God. This went on as long as I read the Bible from cover to cover, and continued even beyond it. Matters eventually came to a head, and God gradually led me to that moment when I died and was born again.

- Samuel Godfrey George

The Desirable Union

2011-04-19T23:27:00.001+05:30

When flesh meets flesh casually and illicitly, it is union, and desirable it is to some, and so it was to me once, but not anymore. The act of flesh deriving satisfaction from flesh is a joy temporary and flimsy and ultimately disappointing, if it occurs out of marriage, out of love and out of God's sanction.

In the grip of unholy love, in the stench of its juices I have passed many a pointless hour, many a day, and many a year. Much of my holy strength I have squandered on unholy lust that retards and regresses the work of God that I am. I have drunk deep from a fleshly cup until its contents revolt me and destroy the very desire to drink.

I have discovered that lust will not plunder the angel face of its riches. The lecher cannot strip away the everlasting joy of beauty. Nothing pure or lasting can be salvaged in an unblessed union that masquerades foolishly as love.

All misspent energy is misbegotten. The instinct to love comes from God. As He is holy, His instinct is also holy. Every act of love is an exercise of holiness. And this I will bear in mind as I give to and receive from others. My energy will be begotten of God. My desire will emerge from His heart. My embrace will be holy and my kiss will be chaste. My desire will be legal, and my love will give without the intent to receive.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Seven Years In The Making

2011-03-26T15:20:00.002+05:30

Seven years ago, on 26 March 2004, I made a decision to embrace the way of Christ. Overwhelmed with love and repentance, I showed my gratitude to Christ by honouring the people He had given me. I prostrated myself at the feet of my Aunt Mary Helen Indra and kissed her toes to convey my respect for her and to also ask her to pardon me for the many years I disrespected and mistreated her. Though completely taken aback by the extraordinary event, my aunt totally accepted me in love and forgiveness. A few months later in July, I met my father, B Ganesan, also known as George Godfrey, and without premeditation, I fell at his feet and requested him to forgive me for the many years of disrespect. It was a moment of overwhelming significance, as I did not realise then that he will pass away in a few days. My father was utterly at a loss for words, but he ultimately blessed me. I also sought the forgiveness and the blessing of my mother, Hannah Evangeline Susheela.

I was indeed born again in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ in the year 2004. My spiritual life was healthy. I read the Bible avidly, almost desperately, abandoning my doctoral research in linguistics. Professionally I thrived. As a teacher of English, I had never taught as powerfully as I did in this period. After the death of my father in August 2004, I continued to read the Bible, though I was shocked by God's response to my prayer for my father's life. I was armed with Job's ultimate statement of faith: "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in Him." And thus the first few years of my spiritual life passed.

In 2005 I sold my home, and thus came into money. Once money came into my life, I drifted away from God. I bought a computer, a laptop, and abused it thoroughly. I pursued the pleasures of the flesh, which have been at the centre of my attention all my conscious life. The Internet provided me countless and varied opportunities to slake my thirst for sexual gratification. Not only did I take these opportunities, but I also explored them to the point of obsession. In the hours of pointless sanity between the moments of insane gratification, I wondered why I had drifted away from reading the Bible.

I might have abandoned the Lord. But the Lord did not abandon me. In the year 2007, after much resistance to any public display of my faith or my ability to speak and write, I chose to get public on YouTube. Thus started the channel "The Voice" and my new name, Samuel Godfrey George. My old name lacked the middle "Godfrey", which was borrowed from my father's Christian name, which he rejected after being publicly converted to Christianity. Though I lived in the flesh, I spoke and wrote in the Spirit, and thus "The Voice" continued to grow and gain strength. My laptop, which was mainly used for my sexual gratification, was now being used to do the work of God. However the dichotomous life I lived meant that I read the Bible with my voice but continued to stray away from its teaching in my flesh. As I fancifully described it, Jesus was my husband, and I continued to cuckold Him in the arms of Satan.

The demonic dichotomy seemed destined to go on forever. In the rare moments of sanity I sent out a desperate and ill-formed prayer to God to save me. I did not particularly believe that God will or could save me from my duality. I thought the hold of the devil in my life was far too strong even for God. However God is God and did the Godly thing in my life. In the year 2010 he assailed me with several trials beginning with my mother. Horrible and inexplicable boils appeared on my mother's legs and she was later hospitalised in a terrible condition. She had many complications and I feared that the inevitable was at hand. I surmised that God was punishing me for my sinful ways. I prayed desperately to God and wrestled with Him for her recovery. I remembered Jacob and how he determined to receive his blessing while wrestling with the angel of God. The Lord answered my persistent prayer compassionately and gradually my mother recovered.

At the time of my mother's sickness, I had an encounter with a man of God, which had a devastating impact on my conflict-ridden nature. Flippantly I had mentioned to him that I served God, but still loved the world. He proceeded to educate me on my error much to my indignation. He told me that the conflict that I considered impossible to resolve can be resolved in Christ. The mention of the phrase "in Christ" triggered a violent reaction from me, and I fumed against this pastor who dared to lecture me. While I insulted him, I was shocked by my uncharacterestic reaction and unprecedented fury, which indicated to me that there was someone else in me, who was apparently vexed by what this man said. The phrase"in Christ" stayed with me. I felt immediately sorry for the man I insulted, as I knew in the spirit that he had indeed spoken the truth. Months later I apologised to him and thanked him for the insight he had given me.

My mother's recovery was soon followed by my own mysterious illness. What began as a high level of sugar in my blood, as a result of years of addiction to soft aerated drinks, soon became a maddening and stressful condition that defied description. When I abruptly gave up my soft drinks and the caffeine that my brain was addicted to, I began to experience feelings of an extremely disorienting kind. Was I dying? Was something terrible about to happen? I was not sure. Friends in Christ helped me to find my way back. Without any significant medical treatment I made recovery. During this period something wonderful happened. I returned to God with tremendous zeal. I bought a new Bible and started to read it again. And this time it made more sense. I bought several Christian books and started to read them. A new madness and a desperate thirst took over me, as I stacked my home with more books and bibles. I posted a slew of videos on YouTube. I started to sing Christian songs and speak extemporaneously about my faith in Christ. Thus Christ grew in me.

My path back to Christ was not without backsliding. Every now and then the demonic returned, and I gave in with and without resistance. This maddening back and forth activity lasted until my Aunt Mary Helen Indra had a fall in January this year and fractured her hip bone. This became my latest trial. My aunt was hospitalised and she underwent surgery. Considering her age and her other complications, the operation carried a certain risk. The pain of this experience offered me another opportunity to renounce my sins and my attachment to them. Yet again God heard my prayers and granted my requests. My aunt returned home where she continues to make recovery.

My seemingly endless cycle of forging ahead in Christ and backsliding to sinful ways continued even beyond my aunt's return from the hospital. However strangely at this moment the cycle seems to have come to a conclusion. My energy and appetite for evil seem spent, and I pray will soon be utterly spent. I am too tired to sin in that manner again. I know that I will sin as long as I live, but I will not sin like that anymore. It is in this context my Aunt Mary Helen Indra reminded me of that day seven years ago when I declared myself to be born again. Initially I did not see the significance of the day, but now I realise that my salvation has been seven years in the making. Now after seven years that are seven days in the eyes of God I truly feel saved. Therefore I take the opportunity on this day, the 26th of March in the year 2011, to make public the work of God in my life. This is not an entire testimony. However it is the testimony of the man with the voice made by God for God.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Fear Not, You Trembler

2011-03-18T11:54:00.001+05:30

Fear not you trembler! Your Lord goes before you.
You have put on the garb of faith.
You have chosen to fight the good fight.
Run you race now and run to win.
Your Lord will be with you wherever you go.
A man’s family is his own enemy.
The prophet is never respected at home.
Go your way trusting in your Lord.
Stay true to His word and love without fear.
Take nothing that does not belong to you.
Then you will receive everything that belongs to you.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Never Never Never!

2011-03-12T10:46:00.003+05:30

As long as I drink from the poisoned cup
And savour the unchaste embrace,
As long as the strong in me will say that he is weak,
As long as I chew on the pieces of death
And shun the life before me,
I shall continue to taste the curse.
Yet will my spirit die?
Will my flame be quenched?
Will His work remain unfinished in me?
“Never!” bellows my faith.
“Never will the righteousness of God be overcome
By the darkness of the devil.
Never will the holy dove be drained of life
By the venom of the serpent.
“Never, never, never!”
The Lord shall arise in me.
The flesh will be nailed to the cross.
The corruptible will be discarded
And the incorruptible will be put on.
Death will come. Yet my spirit shall live.

- Samuel Godfrey George

"This Is The Return" - The New Year Message of Samuel Godfrey George, 2011

2011-01-01T01:58:00.003+05:30

Now is the time to return to my Lord. I have been away for a long time. Now I will return to the child that I once was and to the dream that I once had and to the longing that came from the dream. Again I shall long to see the face of my God, and this time I shall not relent. Not only will I see His face, I will also dwell in His house forever secure in His arms.

Flesh loosens its hold. Earthly pleasures betray emptiness. The wandering begins to cease. The Spirit asserts authority. Finally I turn toward my goal. I walk into arms that are extended forever. In that embrace dwells a love that will never end. The time of the devil is over. Now God reigns in my life.
This is the return.

Return the rage, return the fire,
Return the madness of the child.
Come back my dream, come back my King,
The early promise come alive.
Speak out my tongue, lash out the Truth,
Nail the the chosen one to the cross.
Blot out the world, dim out its cry,
Draw me deep into your fire.
Come back my Lord, come back my God,
Come back my sweet Jesus Christ.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Lord, You Are Right

2010-12-11T23:15:00.002+05:30

Lord, you are right. And I am wrong. I may be guilty of a multitude of sins. Yet this sin I will not commit. I shall bow to your knowledge and understanding. You are right. And I am wrong.

You demand my perfection. I excuse my imperfection. I am content with imperfection. I seek its deceptive comfort. I let the rotten fruit lie beside the healthy. I let the lone pest stay in a cleanly swept house. Days pass and the healthy fruit reveals an inward rot. And the clean house emits a sickening stench. Can I pretend to be surprised?

I love the correct, at least I so opine. Yet I am drawn to the incorrect. I bed with the wrong. I am desperate to learn. Yet I am quick to fall into error. I love to construct. Yet I do not hesitate to destroy.

Cursed am I. To know and to not act, to receive and to not produce, to be blessed and to not bless – this is a curse.

Yet I walk despite the curse. I speak despite the curse. I hope despite the curse. I sin a multitude of sins. Yet this sin I will not sin. My Lord is right. And I am wrong.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Shall I glorify my Lord?

2010-12-10T09:29:00.002+05:30

How shall I glorify my Lord? I shall glorify Him by what I say. I shall also glorify Him by what I choose not to say. I shall glorify Him by what I do. I shall also glorify Him by what I choose not to do. I shall glorify Him by what I think. I shall also glorify Him by what I choose not to think.

Every moment is an opportunity to glorify God. Every moment requires a decision. Should I listen to the inner voice or my own voice? Should I walk in the narrow path or the broad path? Should I pronounce the effortless curse or the impossible blessing? Should I spurn in hatred or embrace in love? Should I give up my desire or give in to the temptation? Should I focus on my weakness or His strength? Should I lament my lot or rejoice in His promise? Should I flee from or run toward the cross? Should I glorify Him or gratify myself? Every moment is decision time. Every moment I decide one way or the other.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Can I do this if it feels right?

2010-06-03T20:19:00.002+05:30

Can I do this if it feels right? Is this pleasure not harmless as it involves only me? No one will be affected by my thoughts. Only I will be involved in this process and only I will be transformed by it.

Can I not use my body anyway I want? Is this not my body? Are these not my organs? Have I not been given this organ so that I may use it for my pleasure? Is this not an organ of pleasure?

Who is He that claims my body as His own? Who is He that decrees that my organs be consecrated to Him? What does He want with me? Why does He come to live within me?

Who is He Who will lord over me? What do I gain by surrendering to His will? What do I lose by rejecting Him? Why does He demand the thing that is most difficult to give? Why does He take away that which pleases the most?

Why does He want the sacrifice? Why does He demand the body? Why does He command the parts to be sacred? Why does He commend the pain and denounce the pleasure?

What is the purpose of this mastery? What is the point of this conflict? Will happiness result from tears? Will joy ensue from pain? Will life emerge from death?

This is the promise. If I die for the One who demands my life, I will live. If I give up my temporary joy in which I can find no fulfilment, I shall receive a permanent joy in which I shall be fulfilled forever.

Shall I believe in this promise? Shall I give up what I can see and feel for what I cannot? Shall I make the Lord my Lord? Shall I submit in faith or withdraw by instinct? Shall I live now and die later? Or shall I die now and live forever?

- Samuel Godfrey George

SGG explains his work, "Give Me Black"

2010-03-12T23:27:00.001+05:30

To desire Light one should walk in darkness. To desire health one should endure sickness. To attain the pure, one should taste the impure. One should ask for black so that one may appreciate white. One should lust for that which is not sacred so that one may long for that which is sacred.

This is the path. From darkness one walks into Light. Through suffering one discovers the joy that cannot fade away. It is the knowledge of filth that paves the way for the knowledge of the pure.

There is no other path. One should not walk away from trouble. One should not avoid the test. That temptation should be resisted is the ultimate requirement. Nevertheless to resist temptation one requires strength. That strength comes from the fall and the knowledge that comes thereof. He who rises after a fall is mighty indeed.

No one born of man can avoid the fall. A man is already fallen even before he is born. From the moment of birth to that of death, a man aspires to rise and reverse the effect of the fall. Whether he succeeds in this is not as significant as his attempt to recover. This is the exercise of faith - to persevere in difficult circumstances and to hope when it seems hopeless.

If one ends one's life as a victor over sin, one will have received the just wages for a lifetime of spiritual struggle. That reward is surely from God, as no one else can give it.

Here then is the irony. The promise of comfort lies in the struggle, the coming of hope is suggested in the despair and the burgeoning of faith occurs in the dark waters of doubt.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Give Me Black

2009-11-09T16:48:00.001+05:30

Give me black so that I may appreciate white. Give me pain so that I may celebrate joy. Make me a fool and I shall rejoice when I gain wisdom. Let me be wayward so that I may desire discipline. Increase my lust so that I may ultimately hate all that enslaves. Feed me with flesh so that I may turn to the Spirit. Let all that is hidden be laid bare, and then the curse of curiosity will be overcome. Allow me to wade in the filth so that I may yearn for the water that cleanses. May I know the Devil so that I may know the Lord. May I be banished into the wilderness so that I may long for paradise.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Superior Sight

2009-04-25T06:22:00.002+05:30

Lord, give me your eyes.
And I shall see beauty that I did not before.
I shall see the truth beneath the lie,
The fear beneath the hatred, and the lust beneath the love.
The sight shall drive away all that lies,
All that perverts, and all that strangles my soul.
Then my arms will reach out not to have and to plunder,
But to give and to bless.
In that embrace lust shall not be.
And my heart freed of the selfish want
Shall give and give forevermore.
And my mind freed from wretched desire
Shall value the act above the reward.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Behold the Work

2009-04-07T01:19:00.006+05:30

From a nameless womb
The seed of an unbeliever
Am I who have come to You.
Among thorns did I bloom,
From darkness I came to light,
My dumbness was turned to speech,
When you laid your finger on me.
My stony heart you enfleshed,
My hesitant feet you steadied,
And handed me a message
And a voice to deliver it
To the world you love so much.
So here I am, pliant and ready,
Behold the work of your hands.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Return

2009-03-25T03:16:00.004+05:30

Return the rage, return the fire,
Return the madness of the child.
Come back my dream, come back my King,
The early promise come alive.
Speak out my tongue, lash out the Truth,
Nail the the chosen one to the cross.
Blot out the world, dim out its cry,
Draw me deep into your fire.
Come back my Lord, come back my God,
Come back my sweet Jesus Christ.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Truth and the Lie

2009-02-03T00:12:00.002+05:30

A million lies will not drown your Truth,
An ocean of derision cannot wash over a drop of your approval.
My Lord, I shall fix my gaze upon you,
I shall watch your eyes and only your eyes.
Let the dogs of hell bark with all the fury of the raging pit,
Let the voice of hatred spew forth its venom,
Let the jealous heart poison my joy,
Let the Devil dance with all his might,
Let the darkness rob the last glimmer of light,
But I shall wait for you, and hold on to your promise.
Heaven and earth may pass,
But you will come, and declare the Truth.
In it I shall reign forever and ever.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Make Something Out Of Nothing

2008-10-19T21:21:00.002+05:30

When labour comes to an end,
And effort bears no fruit,
When vigor drains,
And the intellect fails,
When words do not impress
And thoughts do not matter,
When bones begin to ache,
And the heart lies heavy with grief,
When the mind desires silence,
And the man longs for sleep,
You will begin your work
And make something out of nothing.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Humble Truth

2008-06-19T04:17:00.001+05:30

Unblessed and unloved child of Man,
What is the purpose of your life?
Diseased and broken, you are shunned by many.
Can one afford to take notice of you without profiting from you?
Can one give to you without expecting a reward in Heaven or on this earth?
Can one give to you without feeling good about oneself?
This world is stunned by the brilliance of Man’s creations,
Precious things consume its attention.
How then can it acknowledge you?
How then can it know that in your ugliness lies divine beauty?
For in your sorry face lie the lineaments of God,
And in your destitute heart glows the Spirit of the Most High.
Precious things consume the attention of the world.
How then can it acknowledge the humble truth that you represent?

-Samuel Godfrey George

Lord, It Is Time To Speak To You

2008-06-18T03:19:00.004+05:30

Lord, it is time to speak to you,
It is time to enter into a never-ending conversation with you.
May my speech be silent, may it be simple,
May I pour out my soul, may I not hide the smallest truth.
Let me turn away from all that distracts,
May I not be overwhelmed by the smile, or destroyed by the sneer.
Let all the voices drown; let all the cares be cast away.
May I be lost with you, may I be eternally lost with you.

Lord, I have tasted sweetness, and endured bitterness.
I have glutted on the forbidden fruit in full view of your searching eyes.
I have journeyed into darkness, and returned utterly destroyed.
I have desecrated the temple, and disfigured the one that lives within.
I return to you damaged, knowing that you will undo the damage.
Take hold of me, and be the Father that you are.
I have transgressed enough; now slap me back to my senses.
But no matter what you do, hold me; never let me go.

Speak to me Lord, may my foolish mouth shut up to hear your Truth.
It is your Voice that I long to hear; it is your smile that I desire to see.
It is your censure that will drive me back to my senses.
So rebuke me and strike me with your iron rod,
And then wrap me up in your loving embrace.
Return me to my infancy; return me to my innocence.
May the dreadful past be blotted out, may only the blessed present remain.
May I live the rest of my days in your everlasting embrace,
Speaking to you, and hearing you speak to me.
May our union be never again disturbed; may our love never end.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Night of Faith

2008-05-13T14:46:00.004+05:30

A poem without words,
A life without a soul,
A joy without a smile
Is my life at this moment.
From a parched tongue flows the Living Water,
From an oppressed soul comes the message of liberation,
In darkness glows a compelling Light.

In the din of a thousand questions reigns a terrible silence.
Where have I come? What have I lost?
Is my mind blessed or cursed?
Am I being led by God or the devil?
Who shall possess my soul in the end?
Am I winning or losing? Will I live or die?
Is this madness with purpose?

Why does the Voice not speak?
Why has clarity not prevailed?
Why does the wandering not cease?
When will this recklessness end?
O Lord, I have trodden upon hearts that bleed,
I have destroyed the dreams of love,
Can there be redemption for me?

In your silence I have my answer.
I remember how you blazed across the sky,
And how I pledged my servitude to you.
Years later you came to me again,
And placed your holy hand on my forehead.
And then you descended on me like a dove.
I know who you are; I know what I am.

So I stir from my sleep,
And rise from my darkness,
In the hope that I shall walk into your light some day.
Then the silence will be broken,
The Voice will speak,
And the Spirit will spring forth in joy,
The smile will break out, and the madness will end.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Lord, We Wait

2008-05-11T22:01:00.001+05:30

Where are you my Son?
I have been looking for you.
Have you been looking for me?
I look around for you,
But I cannot find you.
Where are you my Son?
My precious one, where are you?

You are a child without a father,
And I am a father without a child.
Are we destined to meet?
Will I ever see your face?
Will I ever speak to you?
Will I ever hear your lips utter the truth
That I long to hear?

Lord, we wait.
A Father waits for his Son;
A Son waits for his Father.
Lord, we wait.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Heaven or Hell

2008-05-06T21:01:00.001+05:30

Where can I go but to you?
How can I remain without you?
In your arms, under your wings,
I have forever been even without knowing.
In your embrace I have lain all my life,
Unmindful of your intimate presence.
From head to toe you have kept me secure,
As I carry on this mindless journey,
And live on in reckless folly.
May my remaining days pass in your hands,
May what will be be according to your will.
Heaven or hell, may these eyes close in rest,
Knowing that you are here.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Torn

2008-05-01T20:48:00.003+05:30

Shall I dare to go where you lead me,
Or stay where it is comfortable?
Shall I drink deep of your river of trouble,
Or stay and dine with friends?
Shall I be satisfied with your rare smile,
Or crave the approval of this world?
Shall I speak the undesirable truth,
Or sing the numbing songs that people throng to hear?
Shall I die to live for you,
Or live to die in this world?
Shall I be what I desire, and yet fear,
Or shall I be what I am, and yet do not desire?

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Lost Bride

2008-04-26T22:13:00.007+05:30

Lord, I shall speak to you despite my shame,
What can I do otherwise?
Surely I cannot always embrace the Devil;
A stench rises from him after a while.

Lord, I cannot walk away from you,
The Devil is no fit companion.
You may find me in his company,
But it is to you that I belong.

Oh why can I not be faithful to my Lover?
Why do I have to be the brazen one?
Isn't there an ounce of honour in my blood?
Why do I cuckold the Glorious One?

Lord, do not see my ugliness,
Pray, do not uncover my shame.
May my fall be far from your thoughts,
May your love conceal my sins.

When will I lie in your holy embrace?
When will I submit my will to you?
When will your love overwhelm my soul?
When will I be forever yours?

May the lost one return to her Lord,
May the true Husband take His bride,
May the vows of marriage be fulfilled,
May the night of holy passion begin.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Walk

2008-04-19T02:41:00.002+05:30

You blazed across the sky,
And I called out to you.
I had not seen you
But I knew you.

I spoke strange words in a strange language,
I swore to serve without knowing how to serve.
I was a child; this was a dream,
And this was a dream that would not go away.

I longed to see your face that day,
How I burned to see my Lord that day!
I looked up at the sky waiting for you,
But you did not come.

You seized me, and then left me.
You set Lucifer on me;
He carried me away to another world,
And I did not resist.

The serpent and I were locked in embrace
When you came back to me.
You called out to me,
And I stirred from my sleep.

You led me out of my hell,
And exposed my darkness.
You tore down my house,
And laid bare my shame.

You struck me in anger,
And embraced me in love.
You filled my foolish head
With wisdom from your mouth.

You took my stammer
And turned it into speech.
You touched my dead nerves
And set them ablaze with zeal.

You filled me with thirst,
And let me drink from your well.
Your living water
Was all that I craved.

In strange haste I turned to your Word,
I could not wait to read all of it.
Everything had to wait
Until I knew the whole of it.

After that I waited in silence,
Inert I sat without purpose.
In my heart was a dream,
And in my soul was a longing.

I was afraid to move
Until you ordered me out.
You took my hand,
And led me out of my hiding.

With you I have gone to strange places,
Said strange words to strange people.
You filled my head with strange ideas,
And made them come alive.

I am not alone,
I will not be abandoned.
Yet my heart fails every time
My boat is rocked.

Yet I will walk on,
You my Lord are exceedingly kind;
Your whisper is my comfort,
Your love washes away my fear.

All that I have is you,
All that I love is you.
Soon a time will come for a sterner test,
Prepare me O Lord.

Prepare your servant
For the times to come.
Never let go of my hand
Until the end.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Affirmation

2008-04-17T13:54:00.002+05:30

Real is the One who came down for me,
True is the Love that laid down its life for me,
My eyes are fixed on my Father, who cares for me,
My heart will be led by my Master, who has paid a price for me,
I will bleed for the Lord who bled for me,
I will remember His Truth in the face of many a lie,
I will listen to His Voice even when it grows faint,
And I shall call Him God though many call Him man.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Koel Dreams

2008-04-16T05:31:00.003+05:30

Black Prince of Summer,
Lover of tropical heat,
Warbler of a two-note song,
Delivered in the shrillest voice
Kissed by the Divine Lover,
When He quickened the instinct to sing.
Scorner of earthly cares,
A soul encamped in a feathery body
That will not wilt in the heat
That consumes my human strength.
Determined to sing,
Determined to use the God-given voice,
Determined to send forth a rising praise
To the Author of all music, voice and breath,
May the plodder in faith aspire to be you,
May he never let go of his Koel dreams.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Voice

2008-04-05T06:40:00.002+05:30

You breathed life into my death,
Turned my voicelessness into voice,
And my wordlessness into words.

My voice came to life when I first spoke to you.
My words came to life when I swore to serve you.
I came to life when I came to know you.

You took my voice and filled it with your breath,
You took my words and filled them with your wisdom,
You took me and filled me with your love.

Now I walk with borrowed strength,
Speak borrowed words in a borrowed voice,
So that the One whom I borrowed from may be glorified.

Bless the one whom you have made alive,
Bless the voice that speaks words of life,
Bless those who listen to the voice and receive life.

-Samuel Godfrey George

My Christ is All that I Want

2008-03-27T19:28:00.003+05:30

No surprise lurks under the cover,
No consummation slakes the thirst.
The wealth one amasses weighs one down,
The love for power is an endless pain.
The comfort of family is with limits,
Perfect joy and quiet cannot be found there.

When can a wanderer end his quest?
Where can thirst be forever quenched?
What sight fills you with endless joy?
In whose arms will you find eternal rest?

O for a sight of the Christ face,
And I shall live happily forever.
Lasting peace can be found in His eyes,
Everlasting comfort proceeds from His mouth.

O Lord, You are the beauty that I so desire,
In You is the end of all my search.
May my thoughts be entirely about You,
May every word of my mouth be addressed to You,
May the rest of my days pass in communion with You.
May I forever look upon Your face,
And never be satisfied with anything else.

My Christ is all that I want,
He is the only God that I need.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Wayward Son

2008-03-22T16:50:00.003+05:30

You were born among us,
You were raised to be like us,
Why do you not walk with us?
Why do you resist our way?
Are you not what you essentially are?
Are you not your father's son?
Will you not be defined by your mother's beliefs?
Your speech is strange,
Your language is not your own.
You wish to live a life that we cannot imagine.
You speak of a day that may never come.
Out of love we discourage you,
And insist that you do what is acceptable to us.
Will you listen to us?
Will you give us hope or fill us with despair?

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Long Wait

2008-03-13T03:39:00.004+05:30

O woman, when will our eyes meet?
When will we acknowledge the truth?
Long I have waited for your inviting arms and holy embrace;
In our blessed union will spring forth the joy of tomorrow.
Wife of my dreams, take me home to my waiting son.
May he welcome me in his loving arms.
May the sweetness of his smile be entirely for my pleasure.
I long to hear his precious lips utter a sacred truth
Long forgotten and long delayed;
May he acknowledge my fatherhood to the world.
May we, the blessed family, come into being;
May the goodness of the Lord grant this precious joy.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Mission

2008-01-24T19:07:00.002+05:30

When will the voice be heard?
When will the directions be given?
When will the relief be felt?
What madness reigns in the head
Of the one in search of purpose!
What will become of him?
The silence is deafening,
His madness goes on.
He must cling to tall promises,
Dream of light in the heart of darkness,
Lay down his inconsequential life,
Bury his wretched desires, spurn the tawdry world,
And allow his heart to be softened by the touch
That helps him minister to an indifferent congregation,
Distracted and overwhelmed by life.
And his heavy humourless work must carry on
With the sole purpose of bringing glory
To the One who gave him all,
Who may also graciously grant him rest.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Brothers That Never Were

2008-01-20T02:35:00.001+05:30

What pain was felt on a rocky bed!
The pain of a lost one I know so well.
A child who laid his head on my breast,
A face so sweet, and so lost in the past.
I hold my brother in my arms,
In shaking embrace, I sob into his ears,
"Do you remember the child who grew up with us,
The boy who used to worship us,
The smile, the warmth, the smell
Of that boy who was a brother to us?"
He nods in tears, as we cling in pain,
And in sorrow a flood breaks out from us.
And then on a rocky bed, I return to this world,
In the trembling memory of brothers that never were.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Rest For The Restless

2008-01-15T20:24:00.000+05:30

Not every wrong can be made right,
Not every battle can be fought,
May the restless man in search of perfection rest.
His restlessness robs him of the joy
That lies in the crude imperfect moment.
Let him embrace the moment, and relish the crudity,
And not only will he rest, but also live.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Thanksgiving

2008-01-12T18:21:00.004+05:30

For the still moment,
For the dreams that live,
For the love that breathes,
For the little things that bring gladness,
For the comfort of your voice,
For the strengthening of your touch,
For your love that compels,
Thank you, my lord, thank you.

-Samuel Godfrey George

O Son of Mine

2007-12-30T04:42:00.003+05:30

O Son of Mine,
Pure bundle of joy,
You have brought light into my world,
Joy into my life, and meaning into my days.

You have blossomed into a flower,
Beauty dwells in your eyes,
Sweet innocence pours out of your mouth,
And I am purified by your light.

Yet I weep,
For your sweet smile is destined to fade,
Your unbridled joy will suffocate with pain,
When you see this world that I live in.

You, my own, will then be owned
By the law of life,
Your beautiful frame will be bent by experience
Of joy that is truly pain.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Harmless Joy

2007-12-30T02:10:00.003+05:30

What a harmless joy this is!
Isn't this the way of the world?
Isn't everyone lost in his own harmless desire?
What harm can be done in confining these thoughts to oneself?

Isn't a man entitled to some private pleasure,
A pleasure so private that he would blush to tell?
Yet why does his joy turn quickly into sorrow?
Why does his emptiness remain even after the desire is quenched?

He roams in search of green pastures,
Yet he finds himself in a barren desert.
Fleeting dreams, and fading joys are his delight,
And moments of thrill slip through his hands and turn into filth.

Madness masquerades as sanity for a while,
And then rears its ugly head.
The lover of delight perceives this truth, and yet fails to act,
Fails to accept, fails to turn away, and fails to live that life he knows not.

-Samuel Godfrey George

My Lord And My God

2007-12-16T05:41:00.001+05:30

When I barely knew this world
Or lived this life
You blazed across the sky
Roaring past me,
I cried out in my dream,
To the fiery sky,
"I will serve You!"
I uttered these words
In an unfamiliar language
That is now familiar.
I spoke of a service
That I knew nothing about
But now know well.

Once awake I was charged
With desire that seems strange now.
Aloud I expressed a wish
That came out of nowhere.
"I want to see Jesus,
I want to see Him now!" I said.
Hearing me repeat this wish many a time,
My dear Father, now dead, said,
"You will surely see Him some day."
What strange words issued from the lips
Of a man, who was not even a Christian!
Yet how comforting that thought was!

After that early day in my life,
I walked away from God.
As a young man, with great pride
I revealed to all my disbelief in God.
"Atheist" and "Agnostic" seemed popular labels
To the liberated me.
With what skill and joy I made light of the Lord
That I now worship and adore!
Not many an opportunity for mockery did I spare the Christ,
Not many an expletive did I spare the God
That I now call the Stunner.

That Stunner came back to me
After pain and failure mellowed my thickness.
One day when I turned thirty I said a prayer
And received an answer,
And then I said another, and received another.
And that made me read a book
That seemed totally dull to me till then.
I read the Word, and became another man.
The Stunner emerged in a Testament that was called Old.
Jehovah, the Massive Father,
The greatest and most ardent lover of all emerged
In the most heart-rending of tragedies.
A magnificent lover was so outrageously spurned
By His adulterous sweetheart, His people Israel.
My heart was mastered by that pain then and there.

A most ardent fan of God the Father,
A lover of Christ, and a vessel for the Spirit
I'd like to think I am.
But the struggle has not ended.
The enemy's grip is still strong,
And the Lord seems indifferent at times.
My heart sinks every now and then.
Bur I know that I am a work in progress,
True liberation from sin can be achieved only in physical death.
Nevertheless the heart sinks.

Once when my heart sank, He appeared in a dream again,
Tall and bearded, gigantic in frame,
He strode towards me, as I watched from a tiny window.
And He placed His hand on my forehead,
That sweet and gracious Lord of my heart!
The Bridegroom had finally signalled His interest,
So the bride must act.
But the Spirit must help, or the bride cannot act.
The Spirit and the bride must together say, "Come!"
To the One Who is Lord and God.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Ruled By The Heart

2007-12-15T19:42:00.002+05:30

Could you cling harder to what pleases you?
Could you realise that stinging fantasy?
Could that muscle of joy throb forever?
Your heart demands it;
Your poor heart is so full of desire,
A yawning hunger remains within it.

Why is that brain of yours at odds with your heart?
Shouldn't you listen to your heart,
Obey its every bidding?
Isn't obedience to the heart the source of all pleasure?
Why does that irksome brain conspire to ruin your joy?
Who is that voice that speaks from within?
Why does it condemn you?
What harm have you done
Except look for lasting pleasure,
Even if it is at the cost of everything else?

You are on a mission;
You are in search of pleasure
That lives up to the flaming fantasy within.
Your heart is your queen,
Your impulses draw you to action.
All your energy is spent on
Chasing exciting shadows in your head.
What could be wrong with such a life?

Nothing is wrong with such a life
Except that the one who chases
His fantasies will never love reality.
He will not care about what is real,
As the real is not enticing enough.
He will not look beyond himself
For his dreams rule his soul.
Pain and ugliness will not appeal
To his heart which embraces
Only what it considers beautiful.

How sweet is that embrace?
How lasting is that pleasure?
How edifying is that delight?
There are some dreams that will never come true;
There are some fantasies that will never be acted out.
The pleasure in the head may never be translated into action,
And if it is ever realised, might not be as satisfying as the dream.
Yet the man goes on.

The Cross is the last thing on his mind,
Consecrating his members to the One on high
Is simply not a consideration.
Even He who is above all is irrelevant,
All that matters is what can be seen, felt and touched.
The only thing worth living for is the joy of the moment
And the moments to come.
So he blazes away like a candle
Dribbling its wax all over
Till it drowns in its own fluid.

-Samuel Godfrey George

In Love With Nothing

2007-12-14T02:10:00.002+05:30

This world is an enticing place;
Though God's creations are many,
One is particularly smitten with the human being.
What a mighty piece of work is the human body
That even the Sons of God desired it!
So can one blame those who are drawn to it,
And who have built their lives around it?
So powerful this lust for flesh seems
To someone who can think of nothing else.

Those who worship the human form
Devote all their time and energy
To the fulfilment of their desires.
Their thirst is endless, and their quest has no end
Except the natural one.
Such hunger was never meant to be filled,
And such fire could only consume the one
Who produces it.
And there is no escape.

They seem to have abandoned
Whatever caution and restraint
That confined the love of flesh earlier.
Now many have been set loose,
They have discarded their clothes in apparent glee.
This is the way of the world now.
Some even painfully alter their bodies
For the pleasure of others.
A lot could be sacrificed for such joy.

Yet what is flesh but something
That will not last the test of time?
The luscious slab of meat that one savours today
Is tomorrow's wrinkled monstrosity,
And the next day's reeking pollution
Fit only to be burnt or covered by mud eternally.
Yet many are willing to cling to such a temporary joy.

And the tools of joy that are given to all
Are also subject to the ravages of time.
So potions have been discovered to fortify
The flaccid unwilling muscle of depleting joy.
And tired old bodies are rejuvenated
For the sake of this unforgettable thrill.
Some risk failing hearts and broken bodies
To relive the exhilaration of the past.

They surely love the body that God created,
But do they love God as much as they love
What He created, and then threw out in disdain?
Is the Creator worthy of the devotion
That the created merits?
The answer is too obvious to be stated.
The smell of live meat is all-consuming,
What about the reek of that which decays?
Would the desire for the dead flesh be
As inspiring as the love for the living?

Man was meant to love his own flesh
But not to worship it.
We have made gods out of our own bodies;
The idols that we were asked not to keep
Are still with us.
And the One who created what is desirable
Is not as desirable as what He created.
And there is no escape from this obsession
Except to listen to Him
Who says that we are slaves to this joy,
And that only He can set us free by exposing the truth,
The truth that we are in love with nothing.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Dedication

2007-12-13T04:47:00.001+05:30

To the One whom I did not believe in, and who stayed despite the rejection,
And who knew the desires of my heart and fulfilled them,
To the One who pursues me relentlessly, and who compels me to act,
To the One who placed in me a love for a language that is not my own,
And who nourished it through the tempestuous years,
To the One who gave me a voice and a reason to use it,
To the Origin of my noblest impulses, to Jesus
This feeble act of love is dedicated.

-Samuel Godfrey George

My Son And I

2007-11-15T09:34:00.000+05:30

My son, my precious one, you are my greatest gift,
Every blessing pales in comparison with you.
Every morning I wake up in the hope
Of seeing your beautiful face,
Every time I see you I feel how blessed I am to have you.
What a special moment it is when our eyes meet,
What a privilege it is to sit next to you,
And what a blessing it is when we talk,
Just you and me, my son and I.

How my heart aches when you do not think of me,
I feel anger, terrible anger,
When you deny me due respect,
Or when you do not seem to care about me.
But you are a child, a very young child
Who cannot understand the depth of my feelings.
Yet when I tell you about my pain,
I can see your eyes moisten,
I can see that you feel my hurt,
When you speak to me, I can hear your voice tremble,
And when you apologise, a flood within my heart longs to break out.
It is then I long to hold you, for an eternal moment,
And say, “My son, my son, my precious beautiful son,
I’d lose everything in life to have you.”

-Samuel Godfrey George