Abiding Savior Lutheran Church
801 Charlotte Highway
Fairview, NC 28730
ph: 828-298-2608
davideck
Creative Writing
NAIN
by David Eck, © 2007. Used by permission of the author.
[Based on Luke 7:11-17]
Everyone has lived in a town called Nain
We have walked its streets
And inhabited its houses
It is familiar territory
We all know what it is like to carry death on our shoulders
Weeping and wailing at the top of our lungs
Trying to find a way to say good-bye
To things we once cherished
But are now gone forever:
Loved ones, dreams, career paths,
Health, optimism, peace of mind
A crowd gathers around us
Trying to bring us comfort
Through words and casseroles
But we play the part of the widow
And grieve alone
In times such as these
We feel like we are condemned
To walk the streets of Nain for all eternity
Unable to relocate
Unable to move beyond the stench of death
Then, unexpectedly, a hand is placed gently
On the coffins we have constructed
A compassionate word is spoken "Do not weep"
The voice is familiar and unmistakable
It is Emmanuel, God with us
And he calls our funeral processions to come to an end
"I say to you, rise!" Jesus cries out
And, low and behold,
That which was dead comes back to life:
Hearts are slowly mended, new relationships form,
Healing begins, doors of opportunity open
We cast off our grave clothes
And dress ourselves in resurrection
Miracle and new life
"Surely God has walked among us," we exclaim
As we awake from our slumber
And walk into the infinite possibilities
Of a brand new day
LOVE ONE ANOTHER?
by David Eck, © 2007. Used by permission of the author.
Love one another as I have loved you
It seems so simple, so straightforward
But...love the "bleeding heart" liberal?
Love the "family values" conservative?
Love the Muslim? The Jew? The Buddhist? The Wiccan?
Love the illegal immigrant? The person of privilege?
Love the gay? The lesbian? The transgendered?
Love the peace protester? The warmonger?
Love the Iraqui? The Palestinian? The North Korean?
Love the Republican? The Democrat?
Love the homeless? The beggar? The AIDS patient? The death row inmate?
We tend to love with our fingers crossed
Looking for a loophole
Looking for a way to limit those whom we choose to love
Like the religious scholar who once asked Jesus
"And who is my neighbor?"
We love selectively, conditionally
We love those who look like us
Think like us, believe like us
Who would Jesus hate?
No one!
The only thing Jesus got angry about
Was spiritual hypocrisy
Those who claimed to love God
But could not bring themselves
To love all of their neighbors
Those who believed they were God's chosen ones
While treating others as if they were evil personified
Love one another as I have loved you
Maybe it's not so simple after all
But it is the mark
By which others will know
That we are disciples of Jesus
by David Eck, © 2007. Used by permission of the author.
[Based on Luke 7:11-17]
Everyone has lived in a town called Nain
We have walked its streets
And inhabited its houses
It is familiar territory
We all know what it is like to carry death on our shoulders
Weeping and wailing at the top of our lungs
Trying to find a way to say good-bye
To things we once cherished
But are now gone forever:
Loved ones, dreams, career paths,
Health, optimism, peace of mind
A crowd gathers around us
Trying to bring us comfort
Through words and casseroles
But we play the part of the widow
And grieve alone
In times such as these
We feel like we are condemned
To walk the streets of Nain for all eternity
Unable to relocate
Unable to move beyond the stench of death
Then, unexpectedly, a hand is placed gently
On the coffins we have constructed
A compassionate word is spoken "Do not weep"
The voice is familiar and unmistakable
It is Emmanuel, God with us
And he calls our funeral processions to come to an end
"I say to you, rise!" Jesus cries out
And, low and behold,
That which was dead comes back to life:
Hearts are slowly mended, new relationships form,
Healing begins, doors of opportunity open
We cast off our grave clothes
And dress ourselves in resurrection
Miracle and new life
"Surely God has walked among us," we exclaim
As we awake from our slumber
And walk into the infinite possibilities
Of a brand new day
LOVE ONE ANOTHER?
by David Eck, © 2007. Used by permission of the author.
Love one another as I have loved you
It seems so simple, so straightforward
But...love the "bleeding heart" liberal?
Love the "family values" conservative?
Love the Muslim? The Jew? The Buddhist? The Wiccan?
Love the illegal immigrant? The person of privilege?
Love the gay? The lesbian? The transgendered?
Love the peace protester? The warmonger?
Love the Iraqui? The Palestinian? The North Korean?
Love the Republican? The Democrat?
Love the homeless? The beggar? The AIDS patient? The death row inmate?
We tend to love with our fingers crossed
Looking for a loophole
Looking for a way to limit those whom we choose to love
Like the religious scholar who once asked Jesus
"And who is my neighbor?"
We love selectively, conditionally
We love those who look like us
Think like us, believe like us
Who would Jesus hate?
No one!
The only thing Jesus got angry about
Was spiritual hypocrisy
Those who claimed to love God
But could not bring themselves
To love all of their neighbors
Those who believed they were God's chosen ones
While treating others as if they were evil personified
Love one another as I have loved you
Maybe it's not so simple after all
But it is the mark
By which others will know
That we are disciples of Jesus
801 Charlotte Highway
Fairview, NC 28730
ph: 828-298-2608
davideck
