Sacrament
When John the Baptist from the hustings cried,
First forceful advocate of Heaven's kingdom
Embodying the spirit of Elijah,
Prophet of God, or reed swayed by the wind,
Voice calling in the desert,
he decried
Herod's incestuous monarchy, high priests,
Extortioners and taxers of the poor,
Until the State, intolerant of dissent,
Imprisoned and beheaded him. And Christ
Himself had been a fugitive at birth,
A living challenge to Caesar Augustus
Who claimed himself the savior of the world
And to his infant-killing puppet Herod.
Christ's crucifixion came in consequence
Of his contention with the State and Church
Combined, Herodians and pharisees
All lied, seeking false evidence to slay
The lamb of God.
It is the Spirit's way
Politically to strive against injustice
Just as it is the System's way to kill
The Spirit with every instrument of death,
Even the ballot box.
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