Adventus

Time dawned and chaos was made order,
man came alive within a garden’s border,
within the garden’s border man died
when he disobeyed God and bowed to pride.


Darkness and chaos twined the world ’round,
but with the curse a promise was found,
up would grow a tender young shoot;
A King would rise from Jesse’s root.


A King would rise like light in the dark,
One unbranded by sin’s cruel mark,
to free his people from the grave,
from sin’s tyranny, which made them slaves.


The Light of the world, mighty to save,
was born bloody and frail in a dark cave;
He grew up, a tender shoot as foretold,
the prophet cried: “The Lamb of God, behold!”


The Dayspring from on high came down
to open darkened eyes, to wear a thorn-crown;
He died bloody and broken on a cross,
Unbranded by sin, but smeared by its dross.


Day dawned anew when the Light rose,
sin’s consequence paid—Death in its throes
was undone within a garden’s border;
man, made alive, chaos, made order.

Lent Week 5: Judica—Veiling Sunday

Judica: Veiling Sunday

{Lent: Week Five}

Veiled, all veiled

around the sanctuary,

from the cross

to the icons,

to the spiritual

Body and Blood:

bread and wine

Veiled, all veiled

inside my self,

from my heart

 to my mind,

will, and emotions;

behind the mask

of "All's well!"

Veiled, all veiled

within the Disciples'

understanding and hearts—

the Master among

them as they

argue which of

them is greatest

Veiled, all veiled

in holiest Sanctuary,

a thick curtain

to separate man

from Holy God

because of sin—

a Sacrifice needed

Unveiled! Christ Unveiled!

Upon the mountain,

Behold His glory!

Upon the Cross,

Behold the Man...

Unto His mother,

Behold your Son...

Unto the world:

Behold the Lamb!

*This is the missing poem in a cycle of Lenten poems I wrote last year. All of the others were written on the Sundays of Lent (usually after church), but this one eluded me as I had a guest in town. It came to me today, and so I am adding it in to complete the collection.

Caiaphas Bows to Bentham

How they had waited, constantly plotting

To remove that rabble-rouser from the streets;

His uprising had led to blood-shedding,

Now he was in a cell, his own blood clotting

From wounds he had received—

Death soon would be his reward;

Another disappointing zealot, rotting

So, the leaders went on about their feast,

Their underhanded work done by Roman law,

As the lamb was chosen for the Passover

And those same rulers devoured the beast,

They began scheming to trap their next victim,

That bold, would-be-messiah the people favoured,

Treated like a king, turning them from the priest

Long had they sought to catch that pest

In word or deed, yet always he managed to hide,

Or to walk away from their upraised stones

Having exposed the sins their own hearts caressed,

Leaving them in consternation over this and

Much more, forgiving sinners as if he were God—

Surely for blasphemy they could make an arrest

Now, in the confluence of time and place,

During the Passover supper, the moment came,

One of the rabbi's followers could be bought,

He was willing to sell his master without a trace

Of remorse or guilt as the silver crossed his palm—

At last the trap had sprung! The messiah-king

Would no more be a threat to the Jewish race

"It is imperative to sacrifice one to save all,"

So the high priest had said, a grimace on his face;

Now they had removed the rabble-rousing rabbi

From before Caiaphas, to deal with the Roman law—

His beard plucked out, his back shedding blood;

How little they knew they had sent the Lamb

To be slaughtered, the Sacrifice, once for all

To their chagrin, Pilate offered a deal,

The zealot-murderer, or this taciturn king,

One he would free during the feast, one condemn,

He asked the people which sentence to repeal,

And to his horror and disbelief, as one they chose

The militant man, to be released into their midst

A man who was known to cause strife and to steal

The religious men shook upraised fists,

Unable to have both firebrands extinguished—

Still, it was expedient that one man might die

Not the whole race, so there hung Jesus by his wrists

The very Lamb of God, Who takes away all sins

The only One who could possibly save all men—

Priest and Sacrifice, Servant and King—very God he is.

___________

*About the title: Bentham is the founder of modern Utilitarianism