Bruised Reed: Palestinian Easter

 

Lo my Jesus, bloodied, bruised, and battered.

When Caesar and Pilate, when Priest and Elder,

Confound kingdoms - Mars preens Messianic.

The least of these, hearts and bones shattered,

As wails and prayer anguish.

He will bring justice to the nations.

He will not shout or cry out,

    or raise his voice in the streets.

Lo my kin, bloodied, bruised, and battered,

When powers collude. -- political, ecclesial.

Wolves in Lambskin prowl, canines bared,

While wee broken lambs, unseen, unheard,

Die mid wails of anguish.

A bruised reed he will not break,

    and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Lo the weight of the bloody, bruised and battered,

This cloud of witnesses, Saints, angels, martyrs, 

Bear witness to this deafening, soulless silence,

Millstones of the apathy of those thus hardened,

Plumb the faithless in anguish.

In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;

     he will not falter or be discouraged

till he establishes justice on earth.

Lo my Jesus, bloodied, bruised, and battered.

Brother to survivors of holocaust and Nakba,

Saviour to the broken and the brokenhearted,

Redeemer to all the mighty coldly scattered. 

Hear these prayers of wails of anguish.

Open eyes that are blind,

    free captives from prison

    and release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.