April 1, 2011

My Journey to God

The Most Eloquent Word

“Do you not hear how the mighty accuse You,
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews?”
Pilate, he waits for Your fervent defense.
But without speech, You stand there. The silence ... immense.

Please, come defend Yourself. Say who You are.
Show them Your power and alter the hour.

But You know who You are—from the Father unbroken,
The most eloquent Word that was ever unspoken.

Such humility never has come from we mortals;
Rather, reasons or curses at death’s hellish portal.
Our emptiness writhes us from deep down within,
And the fear of demise tempts our proud lips to sin.
We’ve always some word, some excuse, endless noise,
Some blame to impart, and a finger to point.

Not Jesus. The cross, and the tomb, and hell vexed, broken—
The most eloquent Word that was ever unspoken.

By Kenneth Jensen

(St. John the Evangelist parishioner Kenneth Jensen of Indianapolis wrote this poem on Good Friday in 1995. He is a theology and epistemology teacher at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.) †

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