‘Twas late in ‘19 =
when the virus began
Bringing chaos and fear to all =
people, each land.
People were sick, hospitals =
full,
Doctors overwhelmed, no one in =
school.
As winter gave way to the =
promise of spring,
The virus raged on, touching =
peasant and king.
People hid in their homes from =
the enemy unseen.
They YouTubed and Zoomed, =
social-distanced, and cleaned.
April approached and churches =
were closed.
“There won’t be an =
Easter,” the world supposed.
“There won’t be =
church services, and egg hunts are out.
No reason for new dresses when =
we can’t go about.”
Holy Week started, as bleak as =
the rest.
The world was focused on masks =
and on tests.
“Easter can’t =
happen this year,” it proclaimed.
“Online and at home, it =
just won’t be the same.”
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, =
the days came and went.
The virus pressed on; it just =
would not relent.
The world awoke Sunday and =
nothing had changed.
The virus still menaced, the =
people, estranged.
“Pooh, pooh to the =
saints,” the world was grumbling.
“They’re finding =
out now that no Easter is coming.
“They’re just =
waking up! We know just what they’ll do!
Their mouths will hang open and =
all cry ‘boo-hoo’.
“That noise,” said =
the world, “will be something to =
hear.”
So it paused, and the world put =
a hand to its ear.
And it did hear a sound coming =
through all the skies.
It started down low, then it =
started to rise.
But the sound wasn’t =
depressed. Why, this sound was triumphant!
It couldn’t be so! But it =
grew with so abundant!
The world stared around, =
popping its eyes.
Then it shook! What it saw was =
a shocking surprise!
Every saint in every nation, =
the tall and the small,
Was celebrating Jesus in spite =
of it all!
It hadn’t stopped Easter =
from coming! It came!
Somehow or other, it came just =
the same!
And the world with its life =
quite stuck in quarantine
Stood puzzling and puzzling. =
“Just how can it be?”
“It came without bonnets, =
it came without bunnies,
It came without egg hunts, =
cantatas, or money.”
Then the world thought of =
something it hadn’t before.
“Maybe Easter,” it =
thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Easter, perhaps, means a =
little bit more.”
The churches are empty – but so =
is the tomb,
And Jesus is victor over death, =
hell and gloom.
So this year at Easter, this =
was our prayer,
As the virus still rages all =
around, everywhere.
May the world see hope when it =
looks at God’s people.
May the world see the church is =
not a building or steeple.
May the world find Faith in =
Jesus’ death and resurrection,
May the world find Joy in a =
time of dejection.
May 2020 be known as the year =
of survival,
But not only that – let it =
start a revival.
[by Kristi Bothur, adapted, =
with a nod to Dr. Seuss]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"