I mean see, you?
We hang you on the wall
Dressed in royal robes
Hands white and shiny
What are we afraid of —
On the cross, we hang you –
modestly draped and secure
When part of the pain was
to be bare to the world in need.
Why are we afraid to see that
Your body is like ours —
you had erections and dreamed.
What is frightening about you
caring for Mary, Mary and Martha, and Lazarus.
Or John or John Mark.
It is scary Jesus, knowing
that you are so like us.
Why don’t we want to know that you felt, you care–
Why don’t we understand you are a stranger, a close friend, a guy or a girl, gay or straight, celibate or parent, human the same as we all are
Jesus, you know us, you are scary, you make us see ourselves.
Jesus, why are we afraid to see you, was written nearly 44 years ago and I revived the text recently because of persons who claim to represent the faithful but don’t.
