A little over a year ago, a friend asked me to pen a few thoughts, poetic in nature, on John 20: 11-18 (where it’s revealed that Jesus had risen). We hoped to put some music to it, but things got busy and the words stayed nestled in a notebook, completely forgotten until today. As a journalist, poems and prose are not my forte, but putting pen to paper was a powerful way for me to worship. Here’s the passage:
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
So, I dug into some old bible commentaries and spent some time marveling over this sweet and beautiful mystery from Mary’s perspective.
Here are my words:
Standing without
All have gone
Void where you once lain
Heart emptied
Tears dried
My king, taken away
Standing without
Cold and bare
Heart in full disdain
Tomb emptied
I cry
My king, take me away
—
None know but those who’ve tasted it
The sorrows of a deserted soul
O beloved, where have you gone
Come close and make us whole
—
I seek with affection, I seek with fear
Looking to find, He who brought us near
Come back to us, find me standing here
Such a wounded spirit, who could bear
Sounds of silence and despair
A sight of angels will not suffice
Without the King — O, the sight!
—
Glorious light!
Freed from strain
Evidence of love
Hope of life found today
Great mystery!
Freed from shame
Evidence of a King
Hope of life found today
—
I have seen the Lord!
I have seen the Lord
I will proclaim
I have seen the Lord!
I have seen the Lord
I will proclaim, I will proclaim
Standing in the garden
Hope renewed at last
A cure for the broken
Grief has lost its grasp
He has called my name!
Hope and freedom explode
I have seen the Lord
Calling me his own
He has called my name!
Brothers, sisters hear
I have seen the Lord
No more tears
No more fear
I have seen the Lord
I will proclaim
I have seen the Lord
He has called my name
