Tell No One

IMAGINE IF YOU WILL

THAT YOU ARE ATTENDING A PLAY

A DRAMA

A GREEK TRAGEDY

IN WHICH THE HERO GOES ABOUT

DOING GOOD DEEDS

AND AFTER EACH DEED

HE TELLS THE RECIPIENT

NOT TO TELL ANYONE

IT BECOMES IN THE PLAY A CHANT

DO NOT TELL

DO NOT TELL

THE GOOD DEED DONE

DO NOT TELL

HIS DOING OF GOOD

AROUSED THE ANGER

OF THE LEADERS

WHOSE POOR EXAMPLE

AND BEHAVIOR

WERE SHOWN UP

BY THE HERO'S CONDUCT

SO THEY LABORED TO SILENCE HIM

WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK

THEY KILLED HIM

WHEN THE PLAY CONTINUES

THE FRIENDS OF THE HERO'S MOTHER

COME TO TEND THE BODY

THEY FOUND THE GRAVE CHAMBER EMPTY

AGHAST

THEY RUN OFF STAGE

LEAVING IT EMPTY

GRADUALLY THE LIGHT FADES TO DARK

WHILE THE NARRATOR SPEAKS

SAYING

SO THEY RAN FROM THE TOMB

DISTRESSED AND TERRIFIED

THEY SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE

BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID

DO NOT TELL

DO NOT TELL

THE GOOD DEED DONE

DO NOT TELL

IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK

JESUS SAYS ELEVEN TIMES

IN VARIOUS FORMS

DO NOT TELL

DO NOT TELL

THE GOOD DEED DONE

DO NOT TELL

AND THE LAST LINES OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK ARE

SO THEY RAN FROM THE TOMB

DISTRESSED AND TERRIFIED

THEY SAID NOTHING TO ANYONE

BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID

A TRAGEDY OF HEROIC PROPORTIONS

THE DOER OF GOOD

OVERCOME BY EVIL

AND THE CURTAIN FALLS

ON THE WOMEN

WEEPING AND MOANING

AND MUCH AFRAID

IN OUR MIND'S EYE

WE SEE THE WOMEN

HURRYING THROUGH THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM

HURRYING TO THE COMFORT OF THEIR FRIENDS

AND WE WANT TO CRY ACROSS THE CHASM OF TIME

HE LIVES

HIS GREAT DEEDS HAVE BEEN TOLD

AND ARE BEING TOLD

BUT THEY MUST LIVE OUT THEIR TIME

THEY WILL EVENTUALLY KNOW

AND KNOWING THEY WILL TEACH US

BUT WE BEING MOVED BY THE DRAMA

HAVE THIS URGE TO TELL SOMEONE

AND THIS URGE IS WHAT JESUS INVITES

WHEN HE SAYS

GO

YOU ARE SENT

GO

INTO ALL THE WORLD

TELL THE PEOPLE

MY NAME

AND MY LIFE STORY

GO

TELL ALL THOSE PEOPLE

BEWAILING THE DEATH OF GOD

ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WRESTLE WITH GOD

WHO FEEL THE LACK OF GOD

WHO KNOW THE LOSS OF GOD

THAT HE LIVES

THAT HE IS A KIND AND LOVING GOD

THAT HE WANTS ALL PEOPLE TO BE HIS FRIEND

WE MUST TELL THE WORLD

THAT EMPTY TOMB

IS NOT A SIGN OF DEFEAT

BUT A SIGN OF JOY

THAT THAT JOY SHOULD BE IN OUR LIVES

AND IN OUR BEHAVIOR

FOR WE ARE THE BIBLE

FOR THE SCRIPTURALLY ILLITERATE

THAT IS NOT TO SAY

THAT WE ARE PERFECT

FOR WE TOO WRESTLE WITH GOD

THIS IS NOT TO SAY

THAT THE WAY IS ALWAYS CLEAR

BUT WRESTLING WITH GOD IS NOT A SIN

BUT A TIME HONORED EVENT

AS THAT TIME WHEN A SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN

SAID TO JESUS

HEAL MY CHILD

HE SAID, BECAUSE SHE WAS A GENTILE AND A PAGAN

IT IS NOT RIGHT TO TAKE THE CHILDREN'S FOOD

AND THROW IT TO THE DOGS

SHE REBUFFED HIM SAYING

EVEN THE DOGS EAT THE CHILDREN'S CRUMBS

YOU CAN SEE HIM SMILING

HE'D BEEN BESTED IN AN ARGUMENT

AND HE REPLIED GENTLY

GO

YOUR CHILD IS HEALED

THE TOMB IS EMPTY

AND WE ARE IMPERFECT MESSENGERS

BUT WE ARE COMMISSIONED TO TELL THE STORY

EVEN THOUGH WE ARE AFRAID