Easter Eve – Saturday
Grey skies like molten lead… © Andrew Pratt
Infinite disappointment?
Infinite disappointment
for only rain comes
from grey skies
like molten lead.
And it seems
that hope is dead
until that metal,
soft,
is knife-cut
and a sheen shines out,
like light
slant through cloud
making it seem
that hope might
just
be
possible…
© Andrew Pratt 28/3/2021
Poem: On that day
On that day,
between death
and the dawn of new hope,
there was despair and dread
from those who had heard his predictions,
but discarded them
as doom-laden prophecies
not to be fulfilled in their time.
On that day,
between victory
and defeat,
there was triumph and rejoicing
from those who had plotted to kill
another dangerous, psuedo-Messiah,
and no premonition
that they could possibly be wrong.
On that day,
between the burial
and the anointing,
the women wept
because they had been prevented
from performing their ritual caring
for the body of a Son,
a Master and a Lord.,
by those who feared
that the body would be taken
and the authorities made to look like fools.
On that day,
creation held its breath
and all was still.
But, the next morning …
what a difference!
©Marjorie Dobson
How can God, condemned, be hanging?
How can God, condemned, be hanging?
False messiahs meet such ends,
and the ones then testifying,
have no need to make amends.
Educated folk were laughing,
they foresaw what was to come,
saw disciples hiding, crying,
feeling both distraught and numb.
But that early Easter morning
brought another scene to bear,
Jesus mission had not ended,
he was risen, standing there.
Still the story, more than foolish
soon gave rise to talk and doubt.
'Surely God could never suffer?'
taunting people tease and shout.
Signs and wisdom are confounded
by that stumbling block, the cross.
Things that we once saw as wisdom
now dismissed as foolish dross.
God had shown such strength in weakness.
Those who shared Christ's dying breath
now at last could claim dominion,
love defeating hate and death.
Words: Andrew E Pratt (born 1948) © 2012 Stainer & Bell Ltd, London, England copyright@stainer.co.uk . Please include any reproduction for local church use on your CCL Licence returns. All wider and any commercial use requires prior application to Stainer & Bell Ltd.
Metre: 8 7 8 7 D
Tune: CALON LAN
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