We Lay Down Our Arms

 

We Lay Down Our Arms

(“And a voice spoke out of the cloud, ‘This is my dearly-loved Son. Listen to him!’” Mark 9:7 [J.B. Phillips])

And the time came when they listened to mobs who
carried AK7s and confederate flags.
The time came when they poisoned others with their breath
and called it love. There came a time when they
made guns out of crosses
and went to war in the name of the lord.

Power was stored in the transformers that ran
a dozen outlets who spoke like puppets,
who convinced the listeners (if this was possible)
that the gospel should be shouted in angry tones
that drown the words of the master.

And above the noise and behind the walls
the Father still begs us all to listen and
stop our campfire stories that are more fable than
kingdom. We listen to the echoes of our
favorite attack dogs. We tune in to serrated theories
meant to take down the best of men.

And even worse, some among us say that
blacks are shot more often because they commit more crime.
Spouting spittle like they know the times. Read, sister, read.
And slowly awaken.

So Jesus still speaks, and has spoken. Jesus bids peace
to all who, forsaken or leaving the forests without trees,
give in to the whisper placed in their hearts from the breath
of life, the Spirit who spills love indiscriminately. My
neighbor also waits
for me to listen clearly
and shed the dragon skin that wanted autonomy,
wanted to throw stones until Jesus asked, “Who first?”

If I stand alone, may it be for the sake of my neighbor
who needs a river of kindness to drown out the righteous
rants of the unhelpful.

We lay down our arms before you. We disable our missiles.
We resist the fear of dying, for you have led the way.
And we, in stillness hear the child-like narrative again,
the lamb, the lamb, the lamb,
worthy is the lamb,
the lover of humanity.