I've been working on this poem since January 31st, which was Thomas Merton's birthday...
Francis faced the gilded
Holiness of Rome
Clare turned from riches
To the dust of San Damiano
Dorothy took up pen
To write the dignity of work
Holiness of Rome
Clare turned from riches
To the dust of San Damiano
Dorothy took up pen
To write the dignity of work
Thomas rattled chains
From the silence of his cell
Oscar spilled his blood
With host in hand.
Walking in unfastened sandals,
Shearing off luxury,
From the silence of his cell
Oscar spilled his blood
With host in hand.
Walking in unfastened sandals,
Shearing off luxury,
Calling out injustice in activist ink,
Dying on the altar,
Insisting on the question—
If the gospel
Is impossible
What good, then, is the church?
Dying on the altar,
Insisting on the question—
If the gospel
Is impossible
What good, then, is the church?
Eloquently put! I too have a problem with the position of the church in the world today. The last verse of my own writing on it says:
ReplyDeleteIt is all about the butts in the pews
it is all about the collection plate.
Ignore the truly immoral, be safe
say what they want to hear
Jesus sold for 30 pieces of silver every Sunday.
Keep writing it is always food for thought.