This week’s WOTW for the week beginning Sunday 5th April.
These reflections cover the Lectionary passages for both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.
This week’s WOTW for the week beginning Sunday 5th April.
These reflections cover the Lectionary passages for both Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday.
At the end of this week’s worship material Stephen challenges his readers to write their own Psalm of Lament. Below is my attempt. Revd Dr John Taylor
A PSALM OF LAMENT
Why, oh why, do we never learn?
We study history in the hope that we will not have to relive it.
We hold our medalled anniversaries
and remember the past as glorious.
We resolve to learn from it
but in our foolishness make heroes of the uncomprehending dead.
We make those who are no longer there the guardians of our freedom
We do not recognise that we are the Man.
We have created devastation instead of planting orchards.
Every tree is twisted and broken, leafless and lifeless.
We wave palm branches and drag out the rescued donkey.
We ride our tanks in serried rows of goose-stepping infantry
a Hammer for Jesus. *
We dig up broken swords
That should be ploughshares.
We plant fields of memorials to unknown body parts
To honour those whose memory still haunts us.
We hear the plaintive cry of the cracked Last Post
And stretch out our arms to receive the folded flag,
cold comfort for a father we’ll never know,
a brother we’ll never hug,
a lover we’ll never replace,
a poppy for a breadwinner.
* (See 2 Maccabees 10)
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