Thursday, March 16, 2017

In the Shade of a Tree


In the Shade of a Tree

Peter T. Heide, 2014


 
In the shade of a tree,
Where others will come,
I sit with my brothers
To beg coin for home.
With the shame of the blind,
By law, marked as sin,
One asks whose the fault is—
“Is his or his kin?”
Then a voice from another
Sighs, “Neither the case.
God’s glory’s in each child
Created in Grace.”

I next heard one spitting.
I braced for the spray,
Got mud on my eyelids;
And then, sent away
To wash in Siloam,
Erased the disgrace.
I washed in those waters
And new life embraced—
A life of new vision,
Creation to see:
Great things they called buildings
And things they called trees.



But then rumors started.
“It’s all been a scam.
If he’s the blind beggar,
His life is a sham.”
But others there stated,
Amid all the din,
“It’s not the blind beggar,
It’s one of his kin.”
I tried to assure them.
“’Though now that I see,
I am the same person.
In Christ, it is me!”


Some came with suspicion.
Oh, how can this be?
The one who was born blind
Is able to see?
I told them of Jesus,
His spit and the mud,
The waters of sending
And vision of good.
They said, “This is nonsense!”
“You sinner!” they cried
“Your teachings are foolish!
Be gone! Go outside!”


In the shade of a tree
Where others will come,
I pray for belonging,
A place to call home;
And then one approaches
With faith to receive
A world of belonging.
O Lord, I believe.
In you there is vision
With new ways to live,
Embracing each other
With gifts that you give.


From the waters, we’re sent;
And so, we now come,
Your vision proclaiming
Of new life and home;
A home where all people
Are welcomed in love,
All sharing the gifts that
We have from above.
No matter our natures
Received at our birth,
We’re sent from the waters
Of death and new birth.

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