Mary From Nazareth Poem by Gert Strydom

Mary innocent girl from Nazareth
when you went on your knees
standing in front of the God of the universe,
before your marriage already pregnant against the law

did you know that the Godly child that you were carrying
would only depend on His heavenly Father,
that He would be downtrodden by men and despised
without ever complaining about his fate?

With your fear during childbearing with pain circled out wider
did you know that He would bring salvation to the world with pain,
that blows would cleave into his body, with a crown of thorns upon His head,
before nails would pierce his hands and feet mercilessly?

That night right there in the stable
when your gaze fell over the bare circumstances
did you know blessed woman,
that the God of the universe

came to this world only as a mere man,
stripped from his omnipotence without end
to fulfil His mission here as a mortal
without cursing those that were murdering Him?

When you nursed and cared for Him day after day
teaching Him to count on His fingers
did you realise the depth of His love and knowledge
when He told the priests in the temple about God?

Mary from Nazareth, when fear were cutting through your motherly heart
when you saw your darling child suffering,
hanging for the entire world on the cross
did you know that his omnipotent Father was still near?

When His last power dissipated on the cross
were you then estranged from your son
or did you know that He would rise again
to take up His place as the conquering God?

Mary woman from Nazareth did you remember His words,
or did the mourning mangle you too deeply
when your son carried the shame of the world
to know that you could trust His promises?

l’Envoi
When thunder cleaved through the air and fell in darkness
while He died next to a murderer and thief, of sin an image
did you know why a God had to die
that your own child had to prove that God loves selflessly?

or would this realization only later become clear from the words of His followers,
did you know that He would bring salvation to the world with pain,
that blows would cleave into his body, with a crown of thorns upon His head,
before nails would pierce his hands and feet mercilessly?


[After Elisabeth Eybers/Reference: Maria (Mary) by Elisabeth Eybers.]