Steve Shoemaker
It’s Monday of Holy Week. I’m walking with Jesus as best I can toward the cross and toward the celebration of Easter. This year I’m walking with members of the congregation who are suffering, in great pain, sick, dying people, trying the best I can to be with them fully in ways that, by the grace of God, might help. This is not head stuff. It’s heart stuff. I get tangled in my head too often. I open the morning email. There’s this double acrostic poem from my old friend Steve Shoemaker, the 6’8″ and shrinking Ph.D. kite-flyer theologian and poet. Thank you, Steve.EASTER MORNING
Either Jesus really did rise or
All his followers made up the worst
Series of lies in history… Poor
Thomas certainly was right to doubt
Even after hearing tales: what four
Reached the tomb (or five?) Who saw him first?
Matthew says two women, Mark says three;
Or was it just one, as said by John?
Reports of what eye-witnesses can see
Never can be trusted. Luke said one
In the road joined two who could not see–
Not until he broke the bread… No one
Got the story straight! Conspiracy?
Even grade school kids could do as well.
And Luke throws in Peter saw him too–
Somewhere unreported… Who could tell
That this jumble of accounts could do
Enough to give faith and hope to all.
Resurrection? Who could think it true?
Maybe just the simple: those whose eyes
Open to the light through grief, through tears…
Reminded of love, of truth, of grace…
Needing to be fed, hands out for bread…
Inspired by the scriptures, in whose head
Grow visions: life can come from the dead.
I’m adding this visual: “Disciples John and Peter on their way to the tomb”:
Disciples John and Peter Run to the Tomb
Burnand, Eugène, 1850-1921. Disciples John and Peter on their way to the tomb on Easter morning, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55038 [retrieved April 2, 2012].
Steve and I would love to hear your reflections and responses to Steve’s poem or Burnand’s painting. Thanks for coming by.
Views from the Edge 
Very interesting poem. There are a lot of things to ponder.
Perhaps what made Jesus spectacular and worth remembering for 2,000 years was not how his life ended. Perhaps what made Jesus spectacular and worth remembering for 2,000 years was how his life was lived. Love is the answer. Jesus is worth remembering, because he Lived in Love. He did not claim he was special. He did not claim he was doing something we could not do. He lived to show others that Love is possible. Through compassion, and the teachings of Christ, anyone can become Love.
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For whatever reason, the spam blocker blocked this comment and one other, Alternate Economy. I just unblocked it. Yes, it was Jesus’ compassionate life and h is proclamation of the Kingdom of God that we celebrate. Part of that life was staring down the one power the State has to silence people, the power of death, the power to kill, the power to execute, the power to crucify. That power could not quiet him, and it could not stop him. Love cannot be stopped.
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I behold wonder in the countenance and awe in such as these……both in poem and scripture alike…
If we had any understanding of what we see and claim to not know, everyday in every way, in every relationship, upon all of our lips—-we would “know” the second coming is upon us, in us—the burning in our hearts, the seeing when it is gone, the knowing when it has passed. All reflections of the kingdom come, on this side of the veil—uncontrolled by us (thank goodness, it would be but ruin in our tight grasp). Veiled by the very fact that we only allow ourselves to learn one way….with our senses interpreted by our left brain. If we could but put away our rational, our tactile needs, our logic and our fear, we would see the unseen, at least more of it….and it would make us well, whole.
Thank you for your inspiration that tapped a deep seed in me……my pleasure.
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Thank you, Rawgrief. This is beautiful. Thoughtful. Raw. Real. Compelling. And subtle in its reference to the Emmaus Road encounter with the Stranger: “Did not our hearts burn within us as He interpreted the Scriptures.” Thank you…on behalf of Steve.
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