O strong nation! Great in your magnificence!
What strength, what power, what wealth!
You say, âWe are the servants of the Highest God.â
âHis favour is upon us, because we are righteous.â
âWe are Godâs people; we are a bastion of faith in a world of sin.â
But consider your works, O great nation.
And know that your faith is ashes,
Your righteousness as filthy rags.
You, who deny the sick their healing,
You, who deny the slave their deliverance,
You, who take up the sword against the innocent.
You think you are âgood,â because of your piety,
Because you abstain from drink, from crime, from pleasure.
But go, and learn what this means:
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.
You think that all your wealth and power
Gives you the right to decide whatâs right and wrong.
You think that because you are You, you must be right.
And all who oppose you are an evil to be destroyed,
And not only do you cause them to suffer,
But you take great delight in their suffering.
And because you are You, and You are Right,
You cannot hear when someone calls you wrong.
You say, âWe are holyâ;
But holiness comes from the mouth of God.
And God did not say to kill your neighbour
Or to build your empire on the broken backs of slaves
Or, when your own folds were full,
To slay the poor manâs beloved lamb.
You say, âWe follow Christâ;
But it was Christ who said, Love your neighbour.
âThey are our enemies!â You cry in protest,
Holding a sword to your neighbourâs throat.
Christ said, Love your enemies.
âThey hate us!â You cry in anger.
Christ said, Do good to them that hate you.
âThey attacked us!â You cry in terror.
Christ said, Turn the other cheek.
You say, âWe follow Godâ;
Go now, and learn what that truly means.
For this God to whom you lift your bloodstained hands,
He hears the blood of the innocent, crying out for justice.
And the hands that shed innocent blood are an abomination to Him.
Woe to you, scribes and pharisees!
You hypocrites, you whitewashed tombs!
Woe to you, who devour widowsâ houses
Then wipe your mouth, and say youâve done no wrong!
O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
City of the most High God!
When will you turn to Him?
He is the God who gives grace to the humble.
He is the God who resists the proud.
And this God, who you claim to worship,
Did not come to reward those who believed they were right
But to rescue those who knew they were wrong.
Remember the priest and the publican, standing together in prayer;
The priest, in hubris, praised himself.
The âMan of Godâ, the example, the leader
Pushed his neighbour down to lift himself up.
But the publican saw himself and wept for his own weakness.
And of the two, only one was justified.
The guilt of this nation is great.
And I â I am not innocent.
Though my heart moves in sympathy for the oppressed
I, in my comfortable little life,
Do not lift a finger to help.
(Thereâs nothing I can do.)
Do not raise my voice in protest.
(What good would it do?)
Do not give to those in need.
(I have my own problems!)
I have innumerable excuses and no excuse.
And, though I know this, still my ways are not changed.
I am too afraid. Too weak. Too far away.
But then I hear the Dear One speak:
Fear not.
I have forgiven your sins.
I am with you and I will not forsake you.
Rise up and follow me.
Lord, I am afraid.
Perfect love casts out fear.
Lord, I am weak.
My strength is made perfect in your weakness.
Lord, I do not know the way.
I will lead you in paths of righteousness.
Lord, it all feels so hopeless.
Fear not, for I am with you.
Fear not, for I have overcome the world.
