“The Temple Veil” [Matthew
27:51], by David Steele
We’ve come to call God’s
Friday, “Good.”
I’m not at all convinced we
should.
It may be just a cover-up
To justify that bitter cup.
If good means we ignore the tragic
By using clever verbal magic,
and miss the sheer insanity
Of human inhumanity,
Then we should find a better
name
To designate that day of
shame.
Yet, one event that horrid
day
Was very good in every way.
As Matthew tells the ancient
tale,
It seems God tore the temple
veil,
Which acted as a kind of
proof
That God preferred to stay
aloof.
And by this act of daring
grace,
God left the sheltered holy
place,
Taking on that painful yoke
To be involved with sinful
folk.
In ages past, as you may
note,
God dwelt apart and quite
remote
Upon a high and holy place.
Man dared not look upon God’s
face.
When people sought the Lord’s
advice
Through ritual and sacrifice,
Why, nearly everybody tried
To act grown up and
dignified.
God was straight, and rather
stuffy,
And little “goofs” could make
God huffy.
Now children bring some
strange results
To overdignified adults.
One cannot choose to be aloof
When little ones live ‘neath
the roof.
All parents know a child soon
teaches
The joys of playgrounds, zoos
and beaches,
How to laugh and have some
fun.
And sure enough, before she’s
done,
A child weans her parental
buddies
Far away from stuffy studies.
So it appears, the Holy One
Was quite affected by the
Son,
Who coaxed God, as we might
have known,
To leave God’s lofty,
heav’nly throne
And walk ay ever in Galilee
Smelling the breeze from off
the sea.
Jesus showed His Dad the
worth
Of all the wonders of this
earth.
They watched the sun rise in
the east,
Enjoyed a happy wedding
feast,
Helped a farmer sow his seed,
And shared concern for those
in need.
God saw this world through
Jesus’ eyes
And dropped the lofty. Royal
guise.
God ripped the holy veil
aside
To be with us – when Jesus
died.
From Slow Down, Moses, by David Steele; Minneapolis: Augsburg Press;
1990.
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