{See note below about the tune}
JESUS, YOUR WORDS, repeated by your friends
retold, reworked, interpreted for ears
unused to Midrash, used to meet the ends
of politics, and altered through the years
to build a church you had no mind to found
create a Christ you made no claim to be
still with an own-life in our hearts resound
inspiring us with truths which set us free:
Your stories tell our lives, dare and invite
affirm our shadow-selves and offer light.
JESUS, YOUR DEATH, through ritual mystified
as though some merit from your blood accrued,
transformed as though your being crucified
was an unusual fate; as though imbued
with an unwonted grace; as if some powers
(the sacrificial lamb led to the knife)
led you somehow to better death than ours,
a martyr’s death, exalted over life
Yet still your body, lowered into earth
affirms in us the promise of re-birth.
JESUS, YOUR FRIENDS, awash with guilt and loss
needed to find some meaning in their pain,
found their salvation in an empty cross;
in mourning, shared your life, saw you again:
Your words inspiring them to spread the news,
Your vision showing them that living starts
where love is shared, when power is rightly used,
Your spirit, resurrected in their hearts.
We share our stories, selves; grief, celebration:
affirm through love our powers of re-creation.
This started life as a poem, but I thought it might be more effective set to music. It was virtually impossible to find a hymn tune that fit the peculiarities of the line length and pseudo-chorus phrasing. In the end, I devised a melody of my own. It’s a work in progress. I hope to fine-tune the melody and post it here soon…
Meantime, you’re welcome to create a melody if you can!
words of spirit and faith 