"Bigger than the Beatles"
Jesus of Nazareth
Hailed by many as the
Christ. He gave up his life up
For the sake of his friends.
He said a lot of sweet things
About life and love,
But he did not write anything
Down. Like Socrates, the only
Testament of his life and
Words are recorded in the
Writings of his followers,
Who loved him and wanted
People to remember him.
Yet no one can be sure exactly
What he said or did, since he
Left no autobiography or press statements.
There are those who say he was
Born a carpenter's son in a manger
At an inn, or in a cave,
An then he received a visit
From some shepherds or Magi,
Before fleeing into Egypt for three years,
Or possibly Jerusalem where he was
Circumsized and then went home to Nazareth
To grow up into a wise
Young gentleman, who amazed
People with wondrous deeds.
What is known for certain
Is that he upset the wrong folks
Who were people of high authority.
They had him arrested, beaten, and
Finally tried in a mock trial.
In the end they crucified this
Political dissident.
He died for three days
And then he became a symbol
For people who suffer and hope
For a better world.
Then he became a religion
And people fought wars
In his name,
Killing people in horrendous ways,
In the name of peace and love,
And social equality.
People continue to follow him
And make a religion out of him,
Making hope in the future
For people too weak to stand on
Their own two feet and face reality.
Behold the man!
Behold man!
Behold!
--19 March 2011
