LISTEN BUT DO NOT HEAR

You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist. (Tractate 1 John 8,8) Augustine of Hippo

WHEN PAUL CAME TO JERUSALEM

FOR WHAT WOULD BE KNOWN

AS THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM

OR

THE APOSTOLIC COUNCIL

PAUL CAME TO PRESENT HIS CREDENTIALS

THE RIGHT TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES

WITHOUT INFLICTING JEWISH CUSTOMS ON THEM

PAUL PREACHED WELL

PAUL COULD PREACH THE SPOTS OFF A DALMATIAN

WHEN ALL THE INTELLECTUAL DUST HAD SETTLED

THE APOSTLES HAD ONLY ONE MANDATE TO GIVE HIM

REMEMBER THE POOR

REMEMBER THE POOR

RINGS LIKE A REFRAIN

DOWN THE CENTURIES

MOSTLY IGNORED

MOSTLY FEEDING THE HUNGRY

WITHOUT ASKING WHY

CHRIST KNOWING

THAT WE ARE OFTEN

UNAWARE OF THE WORLD AROUND US

SAID

YOU HAVE THE POOR ALWAYS WITH YOU

IT’S A REBUKE TO THE BLIND

AND THE DEAF AMONG US

IT’S A REBUKE TOO ALL OF US

WHO FEAST AT DIVES TABLE

AND NOT SEE LAZARUS

WHO WALK BY THE WOUNDED MAN

ON THE ROAD TO JERICHO

AFRAID TO BE CONTAMINATED

CHRIST WHISPERS

FEW HEAR

WHATSOEVER YOU DO….

FRANK A VOLLMER

FOXES HAVE HOLES

THE BIRDS HAVE NESTS

THE FOXES HAVE DENS

BUT THE SON OF MAN

HAS NO PLACE

TO LAY HIS HEAD

STOP LAUGHING LORD

YOU’VE GIVEN ME

SOME MANY PLACES TO LAY MY HEAD

I’VE FORGOTTEN HOW MANY

EACH TIME SAYING

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE LAST TIME I’M MOVING

I’M LEAVING THIS PLACE IN A BOX

NEVER SAY NEVER TO GOD

NEVER SAY NEVER

TO THE HAND THAT LEADS YOU

NEVER SAY NEVER

YOU’LL NEVER WIN

BUT LET US PRAY

FOR THOSE

WHO UNWILLINGLY

FOLLOW CHRIST’S EXAMPLE

FOR SOLDIERS

SPENDING THE NIGHT

ON THE BATTLEFIELD

FOR THE HOMELESS VETERAN

WHOSE SEEN TOO MUCH OF LIFE

IN TOO SHORT A TIME

FOR THE SLUM DWELLER

BESIDE RICH ESTATES

FOR THE WORKER

WHOSE WAGES

ARE DEBASED

SO THAT HE WORKS

FOR SUBSISTENCE

FOR THE LOWLY PRIEST OR MINISTER

STRUGGLING WITH THE IMAGE

OF A CHURCH THAT FAVORS THE RICH

OVER THE NEEDY

THAT FAVORS

PROTECTION OF THE INSTITUTION

OVER THE NEEDS OF THE FAITHFUL

FOR THE CHILD

WHOSE BREAKFAST IS AIR

LUNCH IS SOMEONE’S THROWAWAY FOOD

FOR FAMILIES LIVING IN CARS

WHILE FINANCIAL MANIPULATORS

RIDE IN CADILLACS

FOR ALL OF THESE

LET US PRAY

FOR THOSE WE MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN

LET US PRAY

FOR MY NEW NEST AND DEN

THANK YOU

FRANK A VOLLMER

CUP AND PLATE

WHEN WE BECAME SICK

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN

MY MOTHER

BEING A PART TIME WITCH

HAD A TREASURE TROVE

OF FOLK MEDICINE TO CURE US

SUCH AS

THE JUICE OF ONIONS AND SUGAR

CURED EVERYTHING

HONEY FOR ANY WOUND

MUSTARD PLASTER FOR COLDS

CASTOR OIL AND ROOT BEER MIX

FOR GENERAL MALAISE

BUT THE COUP GE GRACE

FOR ANY SICKNESS

WAS WHEN MUM BROUGHT YOU

TEA IN A YELLOW CUP

TOAST ON A BLUE PLATE

BEFORE WHICH

RASH DISAPPEARED

FEVER ABATED

IF IT FAILED

THE DOCTOR WAS SUMMONED

FUNERAL PLANS WERE MADE

AS AN ADULT

WHEN MY WORLD

GETS TWISTED

UPSIDE DOWN

I MISS THE CUP AND PLATE

THE HEALING IT BROUGHT

FRANK A VOLLMER

HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER?

CHRIST WAS NOT A MODERN CARPENTER

SKILLED IN THE USE OF AUTOMATED TOOLS

BUT A JEWISH JACK OF ALL TRADES

WHO SPECIALIZED IN WOOD

CHRIST WAS NOT A CONTEMPORARY

ENGLISH SPEAKING WORKMAN

BUT A FIRST CENTURY SEMITE

WHO THOUGHT SEMITIC

WHO EXPRESS HIMSELF SEMITIC

SO WHEN MOST ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS

OF LUKE 14:26

HAVE CHRIST SAY

UNLESS YOU HATE YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER

YOU CANNOT FOLLOW ME

WHAT IMAGES OF STERNNESS FOLLOW

BUT A BETTER TRANSLATION

EXPRESSED IN JEWISH THOUGHT

IS THAT HATE EQUALS

LOVE LESS

GOD CREATED THE WORLD

ALL THAT’S IN IT

SAID

THAT’S GOOD

WHAT IMAGE OF GOD

PROMPTS US TO TRANSLATE THAT WORD

AS HATE

THE JEW PRAISES GOD FOR EXISTING

FOR FILLING ALL THE LONELY PLACES

IN HIS LIFE

HOW COULD HE HATE WHAT GOD HAS MADE

WHEN HE HIMSELF SAID

HONOR YOUR MOTHER

AND FATHER

IN A SIMILAR SITUATION

ABOUT FOODS

GOD SAYS

DO NOT CALL ANYTHING IMPURE

THAT GOD HAS MADE CLEAN

WE ARE ALL GOD’S CREATION

BORN CLEAN

WE STRIVE TO LEARN TO LOVE

FIRST OURSELVES

THEN THOSE CLOSEST TO US

OUR MOTHER AND FATHER

OUR SIBLINGS

THE REST OF THE FAMILY

THE PERSONS WE MEET

WHO HAVE CHRIST WITHIN

NOWHERE IS HATE PERMITTED

EVEN TO OUR MOST VIOLENT ENEMY

A HARD SAYING

BUT NO HARDER

THAN WHAT WE WERE WILLING TO BELIEVE

HATE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER

FRANK A VOLLMER