Holy Week

I apologize for my lack of an elephant last Friday!  Spent last week in San Antonio, and wrapped it up with a wonderful visit with my parents in Oklahoma, on our way back.  The weather here is dreary; a good time to write.  It's time for me to get back into this blog! 

This is Holy Week, a time for Christians to reflect and consider that selfless, divine act of Jesus over two thousand years ago.  Lately, I’ve been contemplating the nature of the many names and portraits of Jesus in Scripture.   And by doing so, I was reminded of a poem I wrote a few years back using different names by which we know Jesus.

Here it is, certainly very unfinished.  It is my “prayer in progress” as I am still dissatisfied with it.  I imagine I might revisit it every year during Holy Week, and continue to improve it as the Holy Spirit sees fit.

Holy Week

King of Kings,

We worshipped you, the palms

Swaying, our voices sing,

How swiftly we forget.

Oh, Bread of Life,

We chewed you up

then spit you out

and still, we are forgiven.

Prince of Peace,

We pierced your feet,

yet you washed ours

and prayed for us.

We were asleep.

Living Water,

Photos of our church's stained glass windows by Steven Chen

You filled our cups.

As was our way, we drank it up

until we choked and turned our backs.

The rooster crowed.

Lamb of God,

we shed your blood.

A cross, the altar.

The Lamb has died,

The Shepherd lives!

Light of the World,

we snuffed your flame

and all was dark as oblivion.

But wait! The blind now see,

The Light is free!

Son of Man (and Woman, too)

The stone is rolled, the tomb is bare.

You lift up all humanity

from division to divinity

and we are healed, 

whole and Holy.