The Father had a dream
a vision for all people
who live under the stars
upon the earth by the seas
a vision of life wherein
harmony as a white river
flowed between hills of care
down valleys of justice
a dream of prosperity for
the farmer who cares for his crop
as a mother cares for her child
a dream of abundance for
the fisherman who with courage
and risk braves the uncertainty
of the waters
to recover life each sunset
The Father was a visionary
but also very practical
and patient
when he saw his dream
was far from the earth
and had somehow gone wrong
he desired to become the dream
and bring all things close
that were once far
Thus is was the Jesus walked
upon the earth
entering the City of the World
by the Four Invisible Gates
He heard the desire of the Father
the longing of the people
responded without condition
Being born with all the vulnerability
and limitation we experience
He entered the East Gate
The Acceptance of Responsibility
He was a man of faith
open to the whole world
possessing a tremendous capacity
to explore ask questions
challenge and confront
see beyond what the eye can behold
into the depths of the heart
and the meaning of all that is
Thus he entered the West Gate
The Desire to Explore
The vision of the Father
had truly been distorted
deviated from
he sought to open wounds for
the healing thereof
bring sight to the painfully blind
sting the hearts of the unjust
renew withered spirits
resurrect in the world a new spring
of goodness after
a stark winter of harshness
Thus he entered the South Gate
of Devotion to Beauty
It was not so simple
the incarnation of the dream
for he confronted violence
calculating logic and blazing fire
that brings coldness to the spirit
and freezes in death
The white river of Harmony
so he set his face toward the
North Gate the hardest to enter
the road to which is narrow
uphill all the way
upon which he stumbled
three times I believe
the hill was bare
planted with one dead tree
whose shadow at three o’clock
in the afternoon falls upon
a dirty tomb of empty silence
Before undertaking the seemingly
impossible task
he met for consolation and warmth
with close friends while
the winds threatened from without
shared gifts with them
less they forget him and perchance
he would not return if death
swallowed him
the gifts were of the earth
bread to strengthen the body
wine to gladden the heart
he called the Father to bring
his Spirit upon the gifts
that they would become more
than the seemed
that they would last longer
than they should
that they be rich in life
through their simplicity
Suddenly he was upon the journey
Upon the hill
Upon the tree
Night came upon the world
The tree fell into the earth
The rock closed the gate
Death truly swallowed him
But the gifts were indeed blessed
The strength in them
Was violent against death
A revolutionary strength
That exposed the contradiction
Of evil suffering imposed pain
The Gate burst open with a
Revolutionary movement of Surprise
Bringing forth a transformed tree
Of life bearing the fruit
Of justice, truth and freedom
Thus he passed through the North Gate
That of Selfless Love
And he said
Do this in Living Memory of Me
August 1986
