Nazareth Man

Which one did you say is the Nazareth man?
The third from the left, second row back?
What did he do to merit the shame?
Curse the High Priest, a Temple attack?

Do you see all these crosses that line the road?
Each is a sign to all who pass by:
pose a threat to the Romans, the Imperial power,
and this is the way you will surely die.

Trust me, my friend, it’s a horrible death.
Spikes through the hands, unbearable pain,
a signal to all who walk this road:
defy the Romans and this is your gain.

O, yes. I remember your Nazareth man.
His name was Jesus as I recall.
He preached on the mountain and by the sea.
Didn’t he overturn tables in the Temple hall?

Such a shame to see him die this way.
He had much to offer, remarkable skills,
a voice for justice, a heart for the poor,
the very things that got him killed.

Perhaps someday, maybe years from now,
people will think of the Nazareth man,
how he cared for the weak, the poor, the lost
and decide, if he did, then maybe we can.

I hope the cross is not the end.
Perhaps Yahweh will someday send
another like the Nazareth man
to lead us on to a better land.

See, they carry him now from that terrible cross.
What a sad sight to see; what a tragic loss.
He could have been such a guiding light.
Must we always live in the darkness of night?