2. Resurrection (ii)

So spake Yahweh in love to His own Son,
And in response the Lamb of God replied:
“O Abba Father, at the hands of time,
Which we created to give order to
The lives of humankind for work and rest
In perfect harmony in Eden fair
For our great glory and the benefit
Of those who at our hands were fashioned and
In our bright image made, our masterpiece;
I saw how time manipulated was
By those who sought to win mere earthly gain,
At the expense of those who could not fight
Against the exploitation and control
Of those who cared not nor concerned were they
But for their own pursuit of happiness
Which in their ignorance they thought would fall
Into their laps, yet from their grasp still fled
Leaving them hungrier still for that same state.
And those who suffered at their hands remained
Bereft of hope and fullness of the life
That was our will for all, and those who yet
Arose against the injustice of those
Who were their masters, or who thought as such
Were parted from whatever they possessed
And left to eat the bitter bread of tears
Which fell like rain which watered not the earth
But their poor lives so destitute and bare.
I saw how time was used to bring to heel
The populace in matters of their faith
By those who sought interpretation of
The laws we made that for their liberty
And order, would bring freedom to their lives
But human thought and customs not of our Purpose and will were added that would bind
With endless mortal rules to regulate
And make a prison of the faith that was
In origin a faith of commandment
And byelaws set by which the Hebrews could
Walk in obedience simple so to win
Our favour in their lives along a straight
And narrow path that leads to Heaven’s gates.
My time of suffering distorted that
Which for humanity was meant to be
A source of freedom and of liberty
In using time as our gift for their good
And ordering their lives unto our will.
My time when suffering was to my mind
Eternal hell, no end in sight for those
Who undergo such cruelty and pain,
Some who might wish their lives to be removed
Before their due time beckons near to take
Their souls to Heaven’s bright and pearly shore
Or else to outer darkness to await
Judgement most righteous from our mind and hand.
The serpent in his low and cowardly way
Tormented and with lies distorted all
The truth of our pure state as Godhead one.
Powerless was I to speak, great was the pain
Of mental torture, let alone the pain
Of execution, nailed unto the cross
And of the Roman lash, as I was chained
To whipping post, to bear the crimson scars
Of which Isaiah spoke at our command.
Great is the finitude of mortal time
Which from our minds imparted to the sage
To write for mortal wisdom and to help
In human matters so to order bring.
A time for living and a time for death
For planting and uprooting, war and peace,
To tear down palaces and to rebuild
For killing and for healing, and to weep
And laugh, a time to mourn and then to dance.
And much besides, as our right wisdom states.
Yet time is now bespoiled and made corrupt
By that low serpent who now finds himself
Confused by my arising from this grave
At your most gentle hand and sure command.
Fled is he now, who cannot bear to see
Our glory and our majesty sublime,
For timeless as we are in this discourse
We who are seated in our majesty
Of Godhead yet are found in time’s essence
Which rules within this space and far beyond
This small confinement, yet ruled we are not.
O glorious Abba, blessed are we as One
In Godhead with the Spirit radiant
Within ourselves yet in all Heaven pervades,
And on the earth for by our powerful might
At your command and by my bidding true
Were all things made for our good pleasure and
For our glory, blessed be this holy time!”
So spake the Lamb unto his Father true
And Yahweh in His wisdom thus replied:
“My Son, my only Son whom I love dear,
Much truth has come from your erudite heart
And lips divine, you speak of earthly plight
Of human consequence as of the time
When our creation of our own image
Succumbed to lies and wickedness that from
The mouth of that serpent who in his rage
At being shut out from our Heaven’s realm
Corrupted human innocence so that
They might be slaves to sin just to appease
His own remorse at his own foolishness
To dare attempt usurp our Godhead throne.
Time, our creation, has become a means
By which all humankind created is
Imprisoned in time’s necessary yoke
To wait for no-one but to speed on its
Unending course, yet for some it will seem
As if to crawl along like the serpent
Upon his belly and to strike the heel
Of mortals who would wish for time to bring
Relief from burdens which like oxen yoke
Weigh down the human spirit as they cry
For help and succour in their hour of need.
The sage who wrote of life’s meaningless ties
Spoke well of time in its unending state
As if of circle vicious humans find
Their lives encompassed finding no escape
From its firm grasp in human matters which
Are snared forever, what say you to this?”
The Lamb of God, the Christ, with leaping heart
And mind, responded to His Father’s speech:
“O Abba dear, my Father true, your Son
Rejoices at your wisdom which I share
Along with Godhead which is now restored
So that entwined are we in love’s pure web,
Empowered by the Spirit who pervades
Our being and who overflows to all
Who on our majesty call out to be
Unshackled from their sin and nature’s night.
Beloved Abba, dances now my heart
For time is now for those who put their trust
In us, Godhead divine for salvation,
A means whereby fulfilment of their lives
Is now made possible, no more to tread
The grindstone of unending slavery
And mortal drudgery so meaningless
Of which the sage of yore with eloquence
Spoke in the Word which from our minds did come.
My yoke is easy and my burden light
For those who in acceptance do respond
To our invitation, to inherit
Eternal life which spans beyond the grave
And with the wings of eagles rises up
Beyond time’s limits to the Heavenly realm
Where timelessness rules at our gracious will.
Time enters not the minds of those who rest
Upon the shore of pearls in our Kingdom,
But whose minds are set only upon that
Which we desire, our will and purposes
Which flow like rivers glistening with waves
Reflecting our glory, daylight serene.
Home of the blessed, mansions vast and bright
Bedecked with jewels, silver and pure gold
Colours so bright and clear with richest hue
Which ring out like the choirs of angels who
Rejoice at all our works and, falling low,
Worship with song unending from their lips.
Humbled was I to lay aside my crown
And human form take, and be governed by
Time in its imperfect and bespoiled state
And live and move among our chosen race
To know and feel their joys and sadnesses
Achievements and frustrations, failures and
Successes, curiosities and fears
Which make their earthly lot a daily round
Of blessings mixed so that confusion reigns.
No one straight path to their lives showed itself
No one direction clear to show the way
By which assurance everlasting may
Be found, blessed was the time in which I lived
Among them as ambassador divine
As Son of Man but also your true Son
And only Son who by my speech and thought
And actions showed the way to Heaven’s gates.
I felt and underwent their turmoil which
Expressed itself in their confusion
Brought on by the bespoiling of the gift
Of time, so precious yet a burden on
All matters human which in Eden’s day
Were free from trouble, strife and endless wars
Of battle, and of human mindsets trapped
In states perplexed and indecisiveness
And error making justice seem so far
Removed from human matters when dispensed.
It was your will to crush me for the sake
Of humankind to be released from sin
And darkness black, such agony was mine
To bear the weight of sin, of that same yoke
Which snared all human souls in endless days
And nights of fear, oppression, hopelessness.
Mine was the brutal lash at Roman hands,
The scorn, derision, mockery and crown
Of thorns that pierced to let red rivers run
Down from my head, a crimson kingly oil
Anointing what was pre-ordained to be
My lot, my portion and my bitter cup
Of sorrows, and to take upon myself
A yoke of wood, as if to represent
The burden of the sin of humankind
Now weighing down my shoulders causing me
To fall time and again relying on
The help of others to relieve the pain
That so beset me round about and through
My heart that piercèd was with grief and shame
And to a heartless, cruel and savage death
As lifted up was I upon the cross
Which opened up, time and again, the scars
Of Roman scourge to bleed once more and drip
Down to the ground yet not to smear and stain
But purify and cleanse all human souls
Who by acceptance of my sacrifice
Would be, by adoption, forever made
Daughters and sons by grace alone which runs
From Heaven’s throne into their hearts to seal
Our ownership of their beloved souls
Bestowing crowns of righteousness upon
Their heads as kings and queens of Heaven’s realm.
Beloved Abba, blessed be wisdom that
Descends, like grace, from Heaven’s throne to bring
Salvation to the human race to free
Them from the slavery of sin and death
And lead them down the path that leads to life!”
With knowing mind and heart listened Yahweh
To His beloved and triumphant Son,
Rejoicing in the fullness of the will
That was of His own marvellous design
For humankind to benefit and then
To live in life eternal evermore.
And in response did Yahweh speak these words:
“My Son, only begotten of my heart,
Beloved before all time since when we are,
Richness and fulfilment of human states
By which were you surrounded when you trod
The earth, became as founts of knowledge which
Before you were made manifest so that
To each in his or her predicament
True power and wisdom given from our hand
Would flood their lives for change and better state
To lead them on the path that leads to life
And for our glory and perfection be
And to the banishment of that poison
Which from the fangs of that serpent was pressed
Into lives mortal to crush and destroy,
The serpent’s poison now is harmless flow,
Bereft of what was once in deadly strike
A fatal flow into the human core
Of life and being, turning sweet to sour
And health to sickness, pure love into hate.
All that is rendered powerless by your
Obedience and willingness to be
At my most holy will the Victim for
The sin of Eve and Adam, in which you
As second Adam rescued human souls
From outer darkness, desolation drab
And serpent’s den which now extinguished is
And rendered powerless, for in your name
Humanity may triumph over him
Who on his belly crawls by endless night
And day, whose time is short before the time
When our right judgement over him shall cast
Into the farthest distance from our sight
His wretched being into roaring flames
Of everlasting torment, there to spend
Eternity, never again to be
Seen or heard by blessed righteous souls who in Blissful, eternal Paradise are found
In Our presence, perfect and fulfilled lives
In joyous song and happiness sublime.
My son, my only true beloved Son
Accomplished is the mission that from my
Wisdom for the salvation of all those
Who put their trust and faith in you as their
True expiation from the night of sin
And death’s dark valley, for you are the light
That floods and searches out all human hearts
And lights their way, so now do I command
That you, my resurrected loving Son
Godhead restored in human flesh for all
To see, take yourself to your disciples
In moments in accordance with our will
As living proof of resurrection power
And in them restore faith which is so weak,
Fragmented by the happenings of these
Three earthly days past, show yourself to them
In your Godhead restored, and breathe on them
Our Spirit true in readiness for all
That we will for our glory accomplish
For all of humankind until that time
When Heaven and earth shall flee away, a new
And more perfect abode of Heavenly light
And grace shall be the perfect endless sway
For holy souls who our salvation take.”
In glorious rapture, Christ, the Lamb of God
Departed from the cave which now lay bare.
Where once the vision of Yahweh’s fearsome Presence, and of His resurrected Son
Surrounded by the wealth of Heaven’s halls
As would befit the Triune Godhead, now
Is earthly rock, hewn for death’s iron grip.
Yet on the slab where rotting mortal flesh
Would rest until decay dissolves all trace,
All that remained were linen cloths rolled up
As if to wrap what once was mortal life
Now dead, to see the light of day no more.