“Mourners” by Bob Blankenship: A Call to Reckon with the Present Age

Mourners by Bob Blankenship

Behold! Where are those that mourn?
Where are the sackcloth and ashes?
The world’s altars are continually ablaze
Sacrificing religiously as each day passes.

They’re carrying the burden of eternal shackling
Their virtue, they willingly pay.
Worshiping baal and astarte to their own demise
Burning on the altars they made.

They yearn to worship a greater power than them
I instilled that into every heart.
Yet they have been coerced and bound in darkness
My enemy’s agenda from the start.

Nothing is sacred in this wayward generation
Hedonism is their crowning glory.
Parading around debauchery like a prized stallion
My daughters are lost to whoring.

My sons have forsaken the gift from their Father
Their identities are being robbed.
Warrior’s hearts are being feminized by culture
Blaspheming the image of God.

The enemy is killing off all future generations
Silencing the voices of my children.
Parents abandoning their sacred covenants
Creating orphans by the millions.

Are there none left to raise My banner of truth?
Reminding the people of grace?
Taking the message of hope to the front lines
In this fight for the human race?

Oh! that the scales would be lifted from blinded eyes
While hardened hearts grow soft.
That shepherds would become burdened for cast sheep
Wandering in the world lost.

That my fathers and mothers would once again rise
Stepping into their given authority.
Filling their tables from the highways and byways
And pointing their children back to me.

Commentary on Bob’s Poem “Mourners”

Bob Blankenship’s poem “Mourners” is a profound and haunting lament that echoes the cries of an ancient prophetic tradition, yet it speaks with acute relevance to the troubled world we face today. This poem is more than a reflection; it is a call to awareness, a piercing observation of the spiritual and moral decay that characterizes much of contemporary society. In its vivid imagery and poignant language, “Mourners” stands as a mirror to our times, reflecting the widespread abandonment of foundational truths and the rise of ideologies and practices that lead humanity away from God.

The poem begins with a compelling question: “Where are those that mourn? Where are the sackcloth and ashes?” This inquiry is not merely rhetorical; it challenges the reader to consider the absence of genuine repentance and sorrow for the pervasive sin and brokenness in the world. The image of “altars continually ablaze” serves as a metaphor for the unceasing devotion to false gods and destructive ideologies—modern equivalents of the ancient deities Baal and Astarte—whose worship leads only to spiritual death. These altars, burning with the sacrifices of virtue and identity, symbolize how society, in its pursuit of self-gratification and power, is losing its very soul.

Ancient Canaanite Deities

Blankenship’s reference to Baal and Astarte is particularly striking. These ancient Canaanite deities, associated with fertility, power, and sensuality, were often worshipped through practices that led to moral and societal corruption. In today’s context, these gods can be seen as personifications of the various idols modern society clings to—materialism, hedonism, and the self above all. The poem draws a direct line from the ancient world’s idol worship to the contemporary world’s ideological captivities, suggesting that while the names of the idols may have changed, their destructive power remains.

The poet also touches on a theme that is painfully relevant today: the crisis of identity and the erosion of traditional values. Lines like “My sons have forsaken the gift from their Father / Their identities are being robbed” speak to a world where many are losing sight of their God-given purpose and identity. The reference to “warrior’s hearts” being “feminized by culture” can be understood as a critique of how societal norms and pressures are reshaping traditional roles and virtues, sometimes in ways that detract from the strength and purpose God intended for His people.

Perhaps the most devastating indictment in the poem is the lament over the destruction of future generations. The lines “The enemy is killing off all future generations / Silencing the voices of my children” resonate with the contemporary reality of a world where the sanctity of life is often disregarded, where the bonds of family are increasingly strained, and where many children are growing up without the stability and guidance they need. This observation is not merely a criticism; it is a cry of deep sorrow and urgency, calling for a return to the values that protect and nurture life.

Scales To Be Lifted

Despite the bleakness of the poem’s observations, there is a note of hope woven throughout, especially in the closing stanzas. The poet’s appeal for the “scales” to be lifted from blinded eyes and for “hardened hearts” to grow soft is a prayer for revival, for a reawakening to the truth and grace that can only be found in God. The call for shepherds to become burdened for their “cast sheep” and for fathers and mothers to rise up and reclaim their authority speaks to the need for strong leadership and parental guidance grounded in faith.

In today’s troubled world, “Mourners” serves as both a lament and a call to action. It challenges us to recognize the ways in which we have strayed from God’s truth and to mourn the losses we have incurred as a result. But more than that, it calls us to rise up, to reclaim our identities as children of God, and to fight for the future generations. In an age where darkness often seems to prevail, this poem reminds us that there is still light, and that there are still those who carry the banner of truth, grace, and hope.

— — — — — —