Mercy
Poetry Friday
Friends,
I was stunned by the backlash from Bishop Budde’s sermon. A sermon like any other that is preached on Sundays in my United Methodist Church about mercy and compassion for the marginalized in our country. A sermon that made clear that every person is worthy of the love of God. I never once thought about this as an assault that clergy needed to apologize for. It would be like asking Jesus to apologize for the beatitudes. The sermon also comes straight from the teachings of the Bible such as Micah 6:8:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
So, today’s poetry is of resistance to those who twist the gospel to oppress and vilify.
keep safe and keep compassion,
Jace
I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings….
What Kind of Times Are These
BY ADRIENNE RICH
There's a place between two stands of trees where the grass grows uphill
and the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows
near a meeting-house abandoned by the persecuted
who disappeared into those shadows.
I've walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don't be fooled
this isn't a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,
our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,
its own ways of making people disappear.
I won't tell you where the place is, the dark mesh of the woods
meeting the unmarked strip of light—
ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise:
I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear.
And I won't tell you where it is, so why do I tell you
anything? Because you still listen, because in times like these
to have you listen at all, it's necessary
to talk about trees.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51092/what-kind-of-times-are-these#:~:text=What%20Kind%20of,talk%20about%20trees.
We Are Not Responsible
BY HARRYETTE MULLEN
We are not responsible for your lost or stolen relatives.
We cannot guarantee your safety if you disobey our instructions.
We do not endorse the causes or claims of people begging for handouts.
We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
Your ticket does not guarantee that we will honor your reservations.
In order to facilitate our procedures, please limit your carrying on.
Before taking off, please extinguish all smoldering resentments.
If you cannot understand English, you will be moved out of the way.
In the event of a loss, you’d better look out for yourself.
Your insurance was cancelled because we can no longer handle
your frightful claims. Our handlers lost your luggage and we
are unable to find the key to your legal case.
You were detained for interrogation because you fit the profile.
You are not presumed to be innocent if the police
have reason to suspect you are carrying a concealed wallet.
It’s not our fault you were born wearing a gang color.
It is not our obligation to inform you of your rights.
Step aside, please, while our officer inspects your bad attitude.
You have no rights we are bound to respect.
Please remain calm, or we can’t be held responsible
for what happens to you.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/145281/we-are-not-responsibleHave mercy, the world really needs it now more that ever.
Jace, thank you for the poetry today and the gravity of the messages in them. They swirled in my heart like deep waters. Mercy multiplied.