Thursday, April 11, 2019

One I prepared earlier

In the famous and now ancient phrase of Blue Peter, here's a couple of things I wrote earlier - around Christmas, with the logic of my bible notes providing Easter reading somewhat unseasonally.

In response to the question below:

"What would happen if Pilate met the resurrected Jesus?" I wrote:

So what would happen if Pilate met Jesus?
Only it's not the stripped and bound
Sleep haggard man who stood before him once?

Nor even the ragged, bloodied, abused "king of the Jews"
Bayed by the hound like crowd, dream haunting man.

This one's alive, a "gardener" king.  Shows up unannounced.
Life treasuring, love affirming, slippery with the material world.

A judge - but it's him judging, 
A king, but his army are blades of fiery wings
A man of truth. True to his word.

I wonder what shifty Pilate would have made
Of a resurrected man he'd thrown
To a common fate?


And for those with little imagination who like to think through details (me)
"If you were a witness to Jesus crucifixion
What do you see? What do you hear?"

Early morning brutality
An unwilling traveller shouldering a beam
Jesus stumbling, bloodied, towards execution
The sweat of fear, iron tang of blood

Sweating soldiers in leather and metal
The creak of body armour and the slap and scrape
Of military boots on paved stones

A totally human, courageous man
Who just happens to be God, refuses a drug
That would have taken the edge off the agony.
He would not shirk from any of our pain.

Screaming, swearing men as the nails thud
Home through flesh into beams.  The dull thump
As the cross piece drops into place.
The hammer blows of the notice of death.

Mocking, insulting, coarse and cultured voices
Scorn, derision.  The sound of dice hitting hardened earth.
And the world narrows in.
Sounds of women crying
And the words of wracked out God.

A death with little pity or compassion.
And I don't know what to say.
Sometimes it feels academic
Because it's real but I've been there
A lot of times.  Forgive me when I don't
Appreciate it as I should.

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