Easter Day
Poems
A GOSPEL TREASURY
Poems Based on Lectionary Gospels
It’s Easter Day, a day of joy,
a time to celebrate,
a time to count our blessings
as in church we congregate.
But, Lord, amid the joys I feel,
I have some questions too.
Some things I just don’t understand.
So I must ask of you:
Lord, how can life begin with death
and love from hate be born?
How can a gift be made of this:
a corpse, by nails torn?
How can we call a Friday Good
that sees such torture wrought?
How can the future of our race
by mortal pain be bought?
How can a King be crowned with thorns,
and on a cross enthroned?
What kind of love was his who there
for human sin atoned?
How could he ask forgiveness
for his murderers that day?
How could he think of others
as his life’s blood ebbed away?
And yet, somehow, as I look back
on Easter Day, I see
those thorns become a halo
and those scarred hands blessing me!
a time to celebrate,
a time to count our blessings
as in church we congregate.
But, Lord, amid the joys I feel,
I have some questions too.
Some things I just don’t understand.
So I must ask of you:
Lord, how can life begin with death
and love from hate be born?
How can a gift be made of this:
a corpse, by nails torn?
How can we call a Friday Good
that sees such torture wrought?
How can the future of our race
by mortal pain be bought?
How can a King be crowned with thorns,
and on a cross enthroned?
What kind of love was his who there
for human sin atoned?
How could he ask forgiveness
for his murderers that day?
How could he think of others
as his life’s blood ebbed away?
And yet, somehow, as I look back
on Easter Day, I see
those thorns become a halo
and those scarred hands blessing me!