miserable now

miserable now

Monday, April 07, 2003

Memo to J.C.

When you was down here J.C.,
You were a pretty decent sort of bloke.
Although you never owned nothing
But the clothes on your back,
And you were always walking around, broke.
You'd talk to people and you didn't judge,
You didn't mind helping the down and out.
But these fellows preaching now in your name,
Just what are they on about?
Didn't you tell these fellows to do other things
Besides all that preaching and praying?
Well listen J.C., there's things ought to be said,
And I might as well get on with saying
Didn't you tell them 'don't judge', 'love one another'
And 'not to put your faith in worldly goods'?
Well: you should see the goods they got, brother!
They got great big buildings and works of art
And millions of dolars of real estate!
They got no time to care about human beings;
They even forgot what they told you 'em mate:
Things like 'whatever you do to the least of these
you do it also unto me'.

Yeah, well these people who are using your good name,
They're abusing it, J.C.!
But there's people still living the way you lived.
And still copping the hypocrisy and hate.
Getting crucified by the fat cats, too.
But they don't call us religious, mate.
Tho' we got the same basic values that you lived by:
Sharin' and carin' about each other.
And the bread and the wine that you passed around
Well, we're still doing that, brother.
Yeah, we share our food and drink and shelter,
Our grief, our happiness, our hopes, and plans.
But they don't call us 'Followers of Jesus';
They call us 'Black Fellas', man.
But if you're still offering your hand in forgiveness,
To the sinners who says he's sorry,
I reckon we'll meet up later on,
And I got no cause to worry.
Just don't seem right that all the good you done
That people preach, not practise, what you said.
I wonder if it all died with you, that day on the cross
And if it just never got raised from the dead?

Maureen Watson, Australian Aboriginal poet

20:08 | posted by juan |