Introduction

Faith poetry is often composed with the intent to proclaim an experience so that someone 
may benefit from it. This "someone" is often really the poet, who seeks to express to the 
Divine the sincerity of their relationship.

As the poet becomes witness to God's reality, so then do all who read the poem also 
become witnesses to the poet's experience. I choose the word "witness" as it is an idea 
central to several faiths. The process of witnessing takes on different shades of meaning, 
but what remains constant is the singular value of being witness to the truth and standing up 
for it in order to live a life of conscience. Ultimately, if we stand witness for God now, 
God will stand witness for us when there is reckoning.

We are all witnesses, though most of us like to forget or ignore what we have seen that 
attests to God's reality. The Self likes to pretend it is the greatest thing in the universe. 
Blessed is the person who speaks the truth, here bitter there sweet, of what they have 
seen on this earth and have glimpsed of the other world.
 
Subjective Substance welcomes people of faith who come forward to report what they 
have seen, with sincerity and selflessness, and without proselytizing.  


Omar Azam