1. ANTITHESIS

To the Christian death
And Christian black metal scenes
I am pleased
There are those who follow Christ
Who enjoy harsh and brutal metal

Lyrical themes about
Killing demons
And eviscerating devils
Is dangerous and petty

Pure hate is pure poison
Saying words of violence
Just to offend the other side
Helps nothing

Christian metal should be
Spiritually wholesome
Entertainment for those
Who accept or tolerate
Christian values

Dear Gracious Lord
I pray that we can all
Set aside words of violence
Toward hate and intolerance
And replace those with words
Of love and acceptance

We come together
Through You oh God
Not through
The spirit of antithesis


2. ARGUING OVER DOCTRINE

To the churches
And followers of Christ who attend
I implore you to be more inclusive
And less corporate

I am grateful there are many programs
To help Christians who attend
Learn and grow
But arguing over doctrine
Divides Christianity

Teachers should recount
Complete stories from the Bible
For lessons and guidelines
Not scout single-verses
To prove narrow paths
That cause division
And resentment

I pray to You
My Heavenly Father
That we can gather
In Your name
In love
And focus on our similarities
Rather than our differences

Please help us to set aside
Unimportant dogma and creed
That is petty in comparison
To Your saving grace


3. GIFT OF EMPATHY

To those in the metal scene
Who help artists
And practice fraudulently
And irresponsibly
Shame on you

Communication is essential
When coordinating
Sales and permissions
You must have skills
And keep records

Next time you are stolen from
Acknowledge that this
Is how an artist would feel
With bootlegging
Or pirating

I pray to you
Holy Creator of all
That producers in all of metal
Will be moral, just, and accountable

Please give us all
The gift of empathy
That we may feel
With our hearts
As we do to others


4. I AM NOT HERE TO JUDGE

To the secular black metal scene
I respect your art
And enjoy your music
As well as the varied themes
And concepts

I am not here to judge you
Or wage war
I am a brother in black metal
With a different belief system

Please disregard your bias
Regarding Christian themes
Present in this genre

No one person, or group
Moderates the black metal art
Just because christian themes
Do not derive
From the scene's roots
It does not mean
The art cannot exist

Do not dislike
Christian black metal
Just because the lyrics
Do not conform
To black metal tradition
Or your opinion

Dear merciful God
I pray that where there
Is tolerance and bias
There can be acceptance
And enjoyment

I pray that You be
With those on this earth
Even if they deny You


5. LACK OF COMPASSION

To those who are political
I urge you to see
What truly is the problem

There is nothing wrong
With aligning to
Either party's opinions
There is much wrong
With the lack of compassion
Empathy and understanding

It is impossible to be
The United States
When we are divided
By investing in here-say

Jesus Christ
I pray to You
That we can come to celebrate
Our freedom as a nation

Rather than fight
And balk
Over the opinions
Of those in power


6. BURDEN OF CORRUPT ATTITUDES

To those who bully
Troll and torment
Stop being a psychopathic
Control freak

There are consequences
To those who intimidate
And oppress
In real life or online
To your reputation
To your senses
To the bystanders
Who witness your madness

Divert the pain
That causes you to lash out
Get help from others
For your cynical habits
Turn to God
For relief

Dear King of Kings
I pray to You
For a change of heart
From those
Who hurt others

I wish anyone
Anguishing in their action
To find serenity
Within You

Lord, please give solace
To those who bear
The burden of corrupt attitudes


7. WHEN WE ARE WOUNDED

To those who are depressed
Or have fear of life and pain
There is hope
Jesus Christ is here

The mind cannot heal
By faith alone
But connecting to God
Is a key ingredient to recovery

A large part of what life is
Is perception
We are not who we are
Because of what happens to us

We are who we are
Because of how we react
To what happens to us

Dear Almighty Lord
Please help us all
To not be overwhelmed

Please be our strength
When we are weak
And carry us
When we are wounded