Weeping Over the City

As Jesus came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, “It is written,

‘My house shall be a house of prayer’;
but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard. Luke 19:41-48

Weeping Over the City

So much has been given you
yet you ignore the gifts, turning
to greed and fear mongering
treating the exiles as chattal
a peace garden as a robbers den.

The lust for power has diseased you
set free the demons and the despots
swarmed around like ravenous vultures
the children suffer from this greed
the poor and needy are left to die.

We humans are given to breaking
bonds of love and fellowship
yet the divine is constantly mending
sewing new seams of hope and joy
closing the gaping holes of hurt.

We are given to cruelty and pain
and loving kindness as well
capable of great good deeds
making peace our daily goal
being servants instead of tyrants.