Notice of absence from Tristan Robert Lange
Life is full of seasons. This is a season of transition for me, where I will be moving with my family to a new location. As such, with much logistics to consider, I am doing my best to keep up. Please know if I accidentally don't respond, it is not because I am ghosting or becoming distant. Once things settle after the move, I am sure life will return to some normalcy. In the meantime, and always:
Read 👓, Write ✍️, Rise 🌅, Realize 🤯.
Tristan 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Life is full of seasons. This is a season of transition for me, where I will be moving with my family to a new location. As such, with much logistics to consider, I am doing my best to keep up. Please know if I accidentally don't respond, it is not because I am ghosting or becoming distant. Once things settle after the move, I am sure life will return to some normalcy. In the meantime, and always:
Read 👓, Write ✍️, Rise 🌅, Realize 🤯.
Tristan 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Force is never freedom in Christ,
Even if it is the purpose of “winning souls”.
Let me take a dip in the Limmat River—
I’d rather be baptized in love than
Xenogenetic founts of forgery.
© 2026 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, May 24, 2026.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: May 24th, 2026 08:10
- Comment from author about the poem: An acrostic Scorched Sunday poem. Part of my Scorched Strays collection. This piece confronts coercive faith, forced conformity, and the violence that emerges when love is replaced by institutional certainty. Some baptisms bless…others drown.
- Category: Religion
- Views: 28
- Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Salvia.S, Teddy.15
- In collections: Scorched Strays.
Offline)
Comments9
Not the cat, one can surmise. Many a false conversation result from that systemic coercion. Powerful stuff, Tittu 🕊️🙏🏻
Arqios, hahaha…definitely not the cat, my friend. 🤣 And yes…forced faith has probably birthed more false confession than genuine transformation throughout history. This one, of course, drawing from Felix Manz...and the irony of his martyrdom. Truly appreciate your thoughtful read and presence as always. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
And now Popeye's book 'The baptism of spinach' - whatever that means?! lol.
Orchi, hahaha…“The Baptism of Spinach” sounds exactly like the kind of sacred glug manuscript Popeye would deliver unto the masses from a windswept mountaintop, my friend. 🤣 I can already picture him dunking cans into the Limmat while muttering mysterious spinach liturgies no mortal fully understands. "I yam what I...yeah, yeah, yeah! Ah-guh-guh-guh-glug-glug. 🌊🥬⚓🕯️🙏
good write my friend, and a meaningful message
My friend, much appreciation as always, Norman. I am glad the piece resonated with you beyond just the surface imagery and references. Thank you again for spending time with it. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
most welcome
Forcing a square peg into a round hole is never advisable. Trying to make a sober man out of an unwilling drunkard does not work. Forcing the mind even by sword is a false conversion. Well written Tristan
Soren, wow…“forcing the mind even by sword is a false conversion” really gets to the marrow of this piece, my friend. That is precisely the tragedy and irony surrounding so much coercive religion throughout history. Love, conviction, and transformation cannot truly be beaten into a person externally. Always deeply grateful for your thoughtful engagement, Soren. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
Most welcome Tristan
Kennen Sie diese Schweizer Flüsse ?
Lorenz, ja…sehr bewusst sogar, mein Freund. 🤣 Die Limmat war für dieses Gedicht nicht nur ein Fluss, sondern auch ein historisches und symbolisches Echo auf Felix Manz und die Zwangstaufe selbst. Freut mich wirklich, dass du diese Verbindung erkannt hast. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
I must admit that I was unaware of this event which I have since learned about .
Oh...rock on! Glad you went down that rabbit hole. ☺️
Well said. Your poem explores the idea that true freedom in Christ cannot be achieved by coercive or manipulative means in the context of religious conversion.
Friendship, honestly, I think you summed the central idea up very well, my friend. The poem really is wrestling with the contradiction between Christ-centered freedom and systems that attempt to impose belief through pressure, fear, or force. Truly appreciate the thoughtful read and engagement as always. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
You speak the truth!
Katie, thank you so much, my friend. 🤣 Sometimes the shortest poems end up carrying the sharpest tensions underneath them. Truly grateful this one connected with you. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
Okay so dark thoughts going on here.So deep and important.Very cleverly written
David, thank you so much, my friend. Beneath the brevity, this one is definitely wrestling with some dark historical irony and spiritual tension. I really appreciate that you caught both the depth and the deliberate restraint in the writing itself. Much appreciation as always. 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
I love the power you bring to this theme, I'd rather be dipped in chocolate by the way 🤣
🤣 ...yeah...if forced repentance drowning must be a thing...let it be in a chocolate fondue fountain! Even my submerged lungs will thank you! Does one even need salvation beyond that? 🤣 Thank you so much, Teddy. Glad it resonated and, as you can see, you and I share the same baptism preferences! I can hear the hymn now
"Come thou fount of choc'late heaven, I be ful-ly sub-merged in thee"...🤣 🌊🕯️🙏❄️
lol 💜
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