This poem is written by Erin Peters, part of the Granvdview Calvary Baptist Church community and a member of the Earthkeepers team.
Mark 14:32-42
today the headlines read:
rebel attacks,
security fence complete,
rape of land and bodies, and
death.
the foundations of the earth are being shaken
and are we here
falling asleep?
some of us,
eyes barely open,
we do what we can:
we watch
we bear witness
the best we know how, naturally
imperfect.
Too often it is simpler
to lie down and sleep.
Our spirits may be
hypothetically willing, but
our bodies are weak,
very weak indeed.
and our eyes grow heavy
with the weight
of the world’s sorrows on our retinas and we
scream: ‘just make it stop!’
and so we close our eyes
to all that surrounds us.
and we ask:
for someone else take this upon themselves
for someone else to deal with it while we
turn our backs
for just a minute or two.
all the brokenness all the pain
rests on our backs, brick-like.
And we’re only Human, right?
we will be crushed and burst apart
we are overwhelmed with sorrow
to the point of
death-
But He said:
if I must carry this sorrow
if I must go through with this pain
for something or someone more than myself,
then so be it-
and that is the sign
of the Divine
coming to meet us.
And are we so unwilling
to simply speak out, cry out, or shout?
to say that we will indeed watch
that we will indeed bear witness to
the brokenness?
how could we claim fatigue
in the face of such
godly justice?
And so I believe that
it’s our turn now.
to find His strength to watch
and pray
it’s our turn to act, to sacrifice,
to bring a bit more of Him into our
everyday,
we must not fail
to at least try-
maybe then, the long-awaited
Kingdom will come.