Monday, March 2, 2009

Three old friends

They met again
Bracing for another joke:
Rabbi, priest, pastor

Rabbi says it's fear
Fear God
Better yet, don't even say the name
Wrath, anger and retribution
Fire and brimstone
Wilderness wanderings
Smiting tribes and annihilating nations

Priest claims guilt
It's in our DNA
Church and school teach it
Clerics and parents breathe it
It's always my fault
And if it's not my fault
It's my fault that it's not

Pastor whispers: shame
God is perfect, we're wretched
We disgrace God
Disgrace the church
And our families too
How could you?
Rings in our ears all day long

Now all these remain:
Fear, guilt and shame
And the greatest of these is...

2 comments:

  1. Oh man, do I have me some shame and guilt issues. This poem did make me wonder the difference between shame and guilt.

    Also, those final three lines are something else.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well done. I appreciate your words.

    ReplyDelete