EASTER MORNING
AT THE TOMB

you are the one
he loved
at the empty tomb
shroud fallen
your heart
awakened
by belief
for love has risen
beyond this time
beyond this place
stone rolled away
His freedom soars
from boundaries
and we begin
anew
love reborn
into eternal
moments
He is known
He is seen
everywhere
each heart
His own
His heart
our own
the empty tomb
answers all
for what God
has given
cannot be put
to death
you are the one
he loves
and death is
no more

Before the Vigil

this day
of emptiness
confusion
and longing
His agony
turned
our own
no longer
to hear His voice
feel His touch
follow His step
where has love gone?

He was our Life
our hope
our light
our answer
and now
we are lost
who are we now?

our hearts on fire
with grief
who will
console us
there are no words
for this
our sorrow

to see Him
broken
bleeding
we cry
my God
why have you
forsaken us

this day
this Life
without Him
we cannot bear
day of poverty
when we are nothing
we have nothing
filled
with emptiness
for we have seen
all Love
and now
He is gone

wrapped in His tomb
embraced in darkness
we have died with him
no light
no thought
of life

Have you felt forsaken by God?

In the hours after I see her with others…
the busyness around her
she is gracious, she is strong…
for others, for him,
a few tears, a few memories…
but she is numb,
she is disbelief—
her real suffering comes
in the night of Mary
when she is alone
after the last good bye
the door closes
and the silence presses on her ears
then she faces the long, dark night
the mirror of her emptiness
her terror and fear,
then the torturous memories come
the sounds
the echoing of nails
pounding and pounding and pounding
his hands, his feet
crowds jeering and pushing
the shouting “crucify”

then she cries out to her angels
then she cries out to her God
who had promised so much love
and has delivered death

in the dark
in the silence
there is the deep deep suffering
in the night of Mary
far from the crowds,
their gaze
their speech
then she takes all the things
and ponders them in her heart
I see her stare
I hear her moan
I hear her wail
I see her rocking
hugging her own being
for comfort
I hear her sing his lullabies

a drift into sleep
nightmares come
the relief of waking
then the sting of remembering
creeping through her body
the pain again into the marrow of her bones
over and over the pounding nails
the jeering crowds
his hanging body’
his blood
filled with the horror
she could not stop
his flesh and blood
ripped apart
broken open
she drinks the secret cup of sorrow
over and over and over

she feels the weight
of his death on her
tries to caress it from his face
tries to breathe her life into him
tries to encircle him in her body
bring him back into her womb
to bring him new life

but she cannot…
she is spent and
I see her curl into her own embryo
then I see her angels come
they surround her in a womb of light
and take her to their sleep.

Why this cross?
this ornament of human suffering
in comfort and complacency
it can seem quite out of place
yet let one moment of tragedy
need or desperation come and
this cross is no longer a foreign land
but a shelter and home
a passage of power
and transformation–
is it magic?
some talisman?
so it would seem
as it is forged in gold
carved in wood
and fashioned in beads
strung on necks
and molded on rings
yet kneeling
silently
before the cross
I hear
the whispers
and struggle
of the world
as it wrestles with its horror
its daily news
of evil and death
cruelty and selfishness
politics and greed
ideological slaughter
and mass destruction
our grieving and loss
our starvation and calamities–
earths quake and worlds fall
within the cross
we are free to place our burden there
and leave as though it were some receptacle
some garbage pit or scapegoat
yet not for long
for His whispers
and movement and life
are too compelling
He calls
over and over
to visit
this strange
place of death
that leads to Life
entering the suffering
the solitude
the darkness
of his outstretched tomb
we answer his call
to pray
to trust
to stay
until wisdom
whispers
the promise
of new life
how long is
our suffering-
it is a moment
of grace—
then there is
no time
at all
no need-
we are completed
resurrected
in His love

you are the one He loved
at break of day
yet all of last night’s laughter
and sharing
closeness and oneness are gone
clouds of betrayal gather
love has been bound
and taken from our sight
fear grips our heart
as we remember His words
the Son of Man must suffer and die
the prophet knew His time
and gives Himself without violence
for mercy’s sake
but we
what are we to do?
what are we to think?
where are we to go?

What have they done to love?

Exod 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; John 13: 1-15

you are the one
He loved
gathered in
you followed
gathered round
you shared
reclined at table
you hear His voice
feel His breath
share His laughter
receive
His touch
holding on
to every word
you will remember
His cup
His heart
His wine
his love
He is every meal
your nourishment
every meal
your sustenance
all the miles walked
upon this earth
in time
are changed
within His hands
each step
renewed
with sacred touch
worn upon your feet
He cleansed
to serve
to heal
to love…
you are the one He loved

Is He your every meal?
Are you changed within His hands?

Isaiah 50: 4-9; Psalm 69: 8-10; 21-22, 31-34; Matthew 26: 19-25

morning
after
morning
He opens our ears
that we may hear 
and not be lead astray
betray
or desert Him
in time of need
for He
has been our help
in weakness
in thirst and
broken-heartedness
constant companion
living
and being
with Him
we are revived
we sing
a song
of life
and praise
with Him

Do you feel God’s constant presence?
How do you stay faithful?
How do you use your voice for good?

Isaiah 49:1-6; Psalm 71:1-6, 15-17; John 13:21-33, 36-38

knowing
our hearts
our faithfulness
or our betrayal
still He gives
His life
His bread
for us
from a love
He knows
in God
that never fails
even as we might
one Love
one Purpose
one Refuge
from where
all Justice
flows
in mercy

Have you experienced betrayal in yourself or other?
How does healing and forgiveness come?

Isaiah 42: 1-7; Psalm 27: 1-14; John 12: 1-11

His breath
His Spirit
His light
within us
whom should
we fear?
no enemy
no war
no chaos
no death
can overwhelm
our steadfast
Spirit
in Him
we place
our trust
in Him
we are
raised up
in Him
we live
pouring out
all we have
in love

Of whom or what are you afraid?
Where do you pour out your love?

Isaiah. 50.4-7; Psalm 22: 8-24; Phil 2.6-11; Luke 22.14-23,56

betrayed
His heart
is nearly
broken
with sorrow
begging
companionship
yet no one
stays awake
alone
He faced
His cup
of sorrow
lead away
to enemies
He is denied
tortured
crucified
hung
for us
to see
all sin
all helplessness
forsakenness
darkness
and death
yet still
he offers himself
as bread
forgiveness
and love

What do you see in His death?
What do you see in His helplessness?
What do you see in His forsakenness?
What do you see in His bread. forgiveness and love?