(for Palm Sunday, from my upcoming project WORDS FOR THE CHURCH)
“Trample our foes
under metal-shod heel
under ramrod doctrine
and volumes of steel!”
You are, too often, in our battle-blind sight,
our war horse for nothing but wild-eyed fight.
But on this day
entry to the Holy City is unlike any rebellion,
heralded by children
paraded through palms.
Salvation is not by our swords, or woken by our wars,
and the power enters peacefully,
on the back of a young donkey,
as it entered years ago
on the breast of a manger.
The only blood spilt is of a servant King,
that His wakening children may ever rise and sing.
Lay your banners low
at the sandal-shod feet of
the Infant, the Infinite, the Shepherd, the Lamb.
His Gospel is peace, and mercy toward man.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time for war, and a time for peace…”
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8b