THIRTEENTH PENTECOST

TELL NO ONE


IMAGINE IF YOU WILL
THAT YOU ARE ATTENDING A PLAY
A DRAMA
A GREEK TRAGEDY
IN WHICH THE HERO GOES ABOUT
DOING GOOD DEEDS
AND AFTER EACH DEED
HE TELLS THE RECIPIENT
NOT TO TELL ANYONE
IT BECAME IN THE PLAY LIKE A CHANT

DO NOT TELL
DO NOT TELL
THE GOOD DEED DONE
DO NOT TELL

HIS DOING OF GOOD
AROUSED THE ANGER
OF THE LEADERS
WHOSE POOR EXAMPLE
AND BEHAVIOR
WERE SHOWN UP
BY THE HERO'S CONDUCT
SO THEY LABORED TO SILENCE HIM
WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK
THEY KILLED HIM

WHEN THE PLAY CONTINUES
THE FRIENDS OF THE HERO'S MOTHER
COME TO TEND THE BODY
THEY FOUND THE GRAVE CHAMBER EMPTY
AGHAST
THEY RUN OFF STAGE
LEAVING IT EMPTY
GRADUALLY THE LIGHT FADES TO DARK
WHILE THE NARRATOR SPEAKS
SAYING
SO THEY RAN FROM THE TOMB
DISTRESSED AND TERRIFIED
THEY SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE
BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID

DO NOT TELL
DO NOT TELL
THE GOOD DEED DONE
DO NOT TELL

IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
JESUS SAYS ELEVEN TIMES
IN VARIOUS FORMS

DO NOT TELL
DO NOT TELL
THE GOOD DEED DONE
DO NOT TELL

AND THE LAST LINES OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK ARE
SO THEY RAN FROM THE TOMB
DISTRESSED AND TERRIFIED
THEY SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE
BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID

A TRAGEDY OF HEROIC PROPORTIONS
THE DOER OF GOOD
OVERCOME BY EVIL
AND THE CURTAIN FALLS
ON THE WOMEN
WEEPING AND MOANING
AND MUCH AFRAID

IN OUR MIND'S EYE
WE SEE THE WOMEN
HURRYING THROUGH THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM
HURRYING TO THE COMFORT OF THEIR FRIENDS
AND WE WANT TO CRY ACROSS THE CHASM OF TIME
HE LIVES
HIS GREAT DEEDS HAVE BEEN TOLD
AND ARE BEING TOLD
BUT THEY MUST LIVE OUT THEIR TIME
THEY WILL EVENTUALLY KNOW
AND KNOWING THEY WILL TEACH US

BUT WE BEING MOVED BY THE DRAMA
HAVE THIS URGE TO TELL SOMEONE
AND THIS URGE IS WHAT JESUS INVITES
WHEN HE SAYS
GO
YOU ARE SENT
GO
INTO ALL THE WORLD
TELL THE PEOPLE
MY NAME
AND MY LIFE STORY



GO
TELL ALL THOSE PEOPLE
BEWAILING THE DEATH OF GOD
ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD
WHO FEEL THE LACK OF GOD
WHO KNOW THE LOSS OF GOD
THAT HE LIVES
THAT HE IS A KIND AND LOVING GOD
THAT HE WANTS ALL PEOPLE TO BE HIS FRIEND

WE MUST TELL THE WORLD
THAT EMPTY TOMB
IS NOT A SIGN OF DEFEAT
BUT A SIGN OF JOY
THAT THAT JOY SHOULD BE IN OUR LIVES
AND IN OUR BEHAVIOR
FOR WE ARE THE BIBLE
FOR THE SCRIPTURALLY ILLITERATE

THAT IS NOT TO SAY
THAT WE ARE PERFECT
FOR WE TOO WRESTLE WITH GOD
THIS IS NOT TO SAY
THAT THE WAY IS ALWAYS CLEAR

BUT WRESTLING WITH GOD IS NOT A SIN
BUT A TIME HONORED EVENT
AS THAT TIME WHEN A SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN
SAID TO JESUS

HEAL MY CHILD

HE SAID, BECAUSE SHE WAS A GENTILE AND A PAGAN
IT IS NOT RIGHT TO TAKE THE CHILDREN'S FOOD
AND THROW IT TO THE DOGS
SHE REBUFFED HIM SAYING
EVEN THE DOGS EAT THE CHILDREN'S CRUMBS

YOU CAN SEE HIM SMILING
HE'D BEEN BESTED IN AN ARGUMENT
AND HE REPLIED GENTLY
GO
YOUR CHILD IS HEALED

THE TOMB IS EMPTY
AND WE ARE IMPERFECT MESSENGERS
BUT WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO TELL THE STORY
EVEN THOUGH WE ARE AFRAID