Submit a Poem
Get Your Premium Membership
spacer
Pinterest button
Comments Inbox

 
About This Poem

What are we to do?

That hospital stay - I regarded it as defeat - 
But the cross was regarded as defeat by the Romans. 
I had a thought while there - 
Sometimes we forget 
That at the end of the Book of John 
That Christ's last words on earth were, 
"Father, Father, why hast thou forsaken me". 

That says to me that whatever the Divine Presence on Earth encountered
In His journey here, 
It was so darkly powerful 
That He left this world a broken man. 
 
Think of that. 

It’s a message saying,
"That's what we're dealing with folks, so don't screw up." 

 
And in a way it's a message from that dark force, 
"You people think you're really something, 
So selfish, 
So arrogant,
So enamored of power; 
Well look what I did to your savior - and it didn't take long either.  

Why don't we carve an image of it and tack it up on the wall, 
A gift from me, 
So that you will not forget what I can 
And what I will do."
 
So what are we, 
Whose divine spark is dim and tentative and fragile,
to do when we engage that same dark power
That so destroyed Jesus of Nazareth 
On a Passover 
When His Father abandoned Him?

I think I am becoming to see the Christian mythos much differently.  
No, He did not die for our sins. 
He died as a result of our sins, 
As all lonely, lost beings when crushed by an uncaring, unthinking world die.
He showed what our sins are.
And since we are all the 
Sons of many fathers 
And the fathers of many sons - 
He showed what we do when we abandon our sons, 
And thus our wives, 
And thus our mothers, 
Because she had a son that was lost as well. 
And what happens when we abandon ourselves and thus each other;
He died to remind us who we are supposed to be.
 
And when He returned, 
He first went to see the women who loved Him.  
That was the other great power the Divine Presence on Earth encountered, 
And He could not wait to encounter them again.

Please Login to post a comment
 
  1. Date: 2/2/2011 12:59:00 PM

    Mark, your theology and mine are not analogous, but your passion, your vision, your fresh perspective makes you the same good poet you were before I understood theology. Good write and many salient points indeed.

  1. Date: 9/18/2010 5:45:00 PM

    Hello, Mark here I am stopping by to say hi and CONGRATULATIONS! What a delightful poem. Had fun reading your featured poem of the week. Take care,.. p.d.

  1. Date: 9/13/2010 12:32:00 PM

    Congratulations on this wonderful write being featured this week. I usually don't read prose but I understood this one loud and clear. I really enjoyed this great piece. Did you intend to leave an "i" out of him, last word, third line from the bottom? Caryl

  1. Date: 9/13/2010 12:21:00 PM

    Congratulations on your poetry being featured this week here at PoetrySoup Mark. Love, Carol

  1. Date: 9/13/2010 6:36:00 AM

    Congrats Mark on this spiritual write being featured. Vince