YOU MIGHT HAVE CALLED IT
THE LAS VEGAS OF THE EAST
OR A LIBERTY TOWN FOR THE FLEET
OR SAN FRANCISCO
DURING THE GOLD RUSH
IT LIVED UP TO ITS REPUTATION
OF ANYTHING GOES
THE TOWN OF CAESAREA PHILLIPI
MOST JEWS WOULD AVOID THE CITY
FOR ITS PAGAN TEMPLES
AND PAGAN CONDUCT
PAN
WHO WAS WORSHIPPED THERE
WAS A FERTILITY GOD
WITH ALL ITS RITUALISTIC SEXUAL CONDUCT
ALSO IT WAS A SITE FOR EMPEROR WORSHIP
ALSO THERE WAS A SHRINE
FOR DANCING GOATS
FOR PAN COULD SET GOATS A DANCING
BY PLAYING ON HIS SYRINX
HIS PAN PIPES
IT WAS ALSO A BURIAL PLACE FOR THOSE SACRED GOATS
THERE WAS ALSO A GROTTO
WITH A DEEP POOL
INTO WHICH SACRIFICES WERE THROWN
THE ENTRANCE TO THE CAVE
WAS CALLED
THE GATES OF HADES
IT WAS HERE THAT CHRIST CALLED PETER ROCK
MUCH HAS BEEN MADE
THAT CHRIST MEANT PETER TO BE THE FIRST IN SUCCESSION
AND THERE ARE GOOD ARGUMENTS
FOR BOTH POSITIONS
POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE
I THINK CHRIST WAS ONLY THINKING
OF HIS FRIEND PETER
HOW HE MATCHED THE MOLD
OF SO MANY TESTAMENT HEROES
HE WAS A FLAWED INDIVIDUAL
HE STARTS HIS CHURCH
IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD
WHERE GOOD PEOPLE DON’T GO
HE SENT A SINNER
SO SINNERS COULD IDENTIFY
HE SENT A WORKER
WITH CALLOUSED HANDS
SO THAT THE POOR COULD IDENTIFY
PETER FELT INFERIOR TO THE TASK
BUT CHRIST SAID
WITH ME ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE
CAESAREA PHILLIPI IS NO MORE
THE TEMPLES ARE IN RUINS
THE CAVE COLLAPSED
BUT CHRIST LOOKS DOWN THE AGES
AND SAYS
YOU ARE MY ROCKS
ON YOU I BUILD MY CHURCH
FRANK A VOLLMER
