And In That Darkened Fluid Red

They rose beneath His punctured brow

And trickled quickly down His face.

Repulsion at the sheer disgrace

Made Jewish faithful disallow

That here the blood of sacrifice

Was dripping into dusty ground,

And underneath that twisted crown-

The greatest gift one could endow.

It was indeed a mystery,

Though not for lack of plain discourse;

And miracles did sure endorse

His claims as more than sophistry, 

Yet somehow deafness struck the ear,

And eyes, though open, bluntly failed

To see the limbs there cruelly nailed

Shed life for all humanity.

 

The Law prescribed it long before-

An offering to cover sin.

But slaughtered sheep could scarce begin

To empty God’s expunging store.

The want in ev’ry human act-

But worse than that- each motive there

Came boldly naked; unaware

What Holy eyes could but abhor.

 

Unclear then was the cost at hand,

Or that one Figure could suffice

To pay for the accounted vice

Of all who failed the Law’s demand.

‘Twas Him alone- the Pascal Lamb-

Who, blemish free, would there atone

And bear the wrath of God alone

To ransom sinners- just as planned.

 

And so we gaze into the cup,

Remembering that fateful day

A fellow sinner would betray

The Blessed One with whom he supped.

And in that darkened fluid red,

Our full reflection may we see-

That pressing to the cross may we

Be sprinkled clean by looking up.

-- K. Hartnett, May 2006

I read a poem that used a similar rhyming scheme and was captivated by the challenge of doing something like it.  It was definitely a challenge, but I'm happy with the result.

 
In verse three, I liken being startled by a naked person to the reaction- greatly oversimplified and weakened- of God to human sin.  His holiness is afronted by it in a way we simply can't fully understand.  A preacher once compared the stench of human sin in God's nostrils to the stench we smell when walking through the pig house at a state fair.  Those who work in the house get so used to it, they don't really mind it- or notice it - but an outsider sure does!  God is outside even the slightest hint of sin.  How it must affect Him!