Be the risen life in us

Fear shuts doors
it speaks too soon
or cannot say
knows what it cannot
hardens hearts to truth
and clenches fists to fight
craves certainty, the status quo
or loudly claims its rights
the nail in our coffin

Fear bangs doors in other’s faces
it cannot see the Christ
in the other we love to hate
our sister, our brother
it betrays and hurts
puts the other down
tells stories that inflame
self-righteousness pretending to be true
the nail in our coffin

Fear peeks through a hole in the door
to see who is on the other side
it does not venture out to greet
difference, suffering of another
too hard to bear for most of us
our complicity in systems that oppress
the poor and all distressed
the damage we have done
the nail in our coffin

Fear invites not the other in
indeed, if truth be told, it cannot do
it fears the death of self
and sneaks and slinks away
avoiding being seen
despairs the help it needs
the pride in us revealed
which seeks to go our way
the nail in our coffin

Fear leaves home, locking doors
by itself it cannot be
the pain of self, inflamed
the solitude of grief
flees to succeed no matter the cost
mindlessly distract itself
knows not incarnation
itself upon the cross
the nail in our coffin

Fear comes home and locks itself in
throws away the key
shrivels and shrinks, it cannot be
that love could enter here and now
dispel the darkness of our mind
our hearts to blossom in
the temple that we are
fallen, incomplete and dying
the nail in our coffin

Yet Christ you enter in
coming through locked doors
suffer with us in our fear
wounded, you cry out forsaken
know yourself in us
embrace, out-love our fear
so freedom we may live
your way of love to follow
open up our coffin

In you we venture out the door
cannot blame another
the whole we do not see
our fear while real
cannot survive your grace
we ask of you to do for us
what we ourselves can’t do
be the risen life in us
release us from our coffin.