A Poem a Sunday

Advent III C

December 13, 2015

Commentary:  John the Baptizer calls the people of his day to repent.  Repentance is not saying:  “I’m sorry for my sin” then receiving forgiveness:  “That is ok, just don’t do it again.”  Repentance is turning – 180 degree turn.  It is turning every day.  This means transformation.  The Christian faith is about turning away from one way of life and embracing an opposite.  The poem is an attempt to describe our turning in our time.

St. Luke 3:7-18 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

⁷ John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” ¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,⁶ John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.

A Poem a Sunday

Advent III C

December 13, 2015

Repent

What should we do

amidst the latest chaos of our urban bloodbaths?

What should we do:

            argue about how

            to name it;

            dehumanize the act,

            push it from

            our own complicity;

            project it on

            the screen of the enemy?

What should we do:

            champion the gunslinger

            from Dodge City;

            send Marshall Dillon

            in to stop

            the bad guys;

            arm ourselves with

            more guns?

What should we do:

            while the rich get richer;

            the poor get poorer

            and a digital divide

            seizes the country?

What should we do:

            in the face of

            disguised innocence

            that rises up

            to splatter bullets

            at a local party?

What should we do:

            when assault weapons

            bans are allowed to

            expire and people

            cling to their guns and Bibles?

JB answers:

            Enter the desert, the wilderness.

            Turn your back on all Temples.

            Churches cannot save you.

            Get out of Dodge.

            Enter that place

            where you

            encounter the

            living God

            and

            total

            dependence

            on

            Providence.

JB answers:

            Pretend no longer that

            you have the power to

            change the human heart.

            Repent!

            Repent!

            Emmanuel

            will

            come

            to

            you,

            Oh

            people!

Copyright @A Poem a Sunday – December 8, 2015 – Kenn Storck