Ordinary Time in the Pews
Moore Moran

Ordinary days again.
Advent, Pentecost are past;
who now will accept our sins,
raise the dust in which we're cast?

Cold the God flesh on the tree,
banned the creche to attic murk,
sheer the silence after prayer,
nothing seems at all to work.

Yet, we try and try again
serving Him we hardly know:
honk if you love Jesus, friend,
beeping blessings as we go.

Here we meet, who somehow must
rescue meaning from the dust,
where betrayal's kiss presents
our best hope of relevance.


This poem (source: the periodical First Things) really struck me. Upon reading it again, and analyzing it more carefully, I wanted to offer a few comments. First, I think the poet identifies that Christ came ("Advent"), and the Church was sent on a mission ("Pentecost"). However, the poet recognizes that we are now in "ordinary days" and that there is some sort of spiritual gap. Our sins and apathy remain, we don't see God's visible power and don't hear His voice, and indeed, "nothing seems at all to work." While I dispute "Cold the God flesh on the tree" (that is, I believe Christ has resurrected), the poet probably intended to evoke the realization that perhaps we don't really care that Christ was crucified. And "yet, we try and try again/serving Him we hardly know." Does that provide a concise summation of our very sad state? And I love that line "honk if you love Jesus, friend" - enough said. Finally, the last section seems to shed some hope... but I confess, at first it seemed to make sense, but now that I look at it again, seems rather ambiguous. Thoughts?