Another Exorcist Poem by Steven Federle

John said to him, 'Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.' But Jesus said, 'You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in my name could soon afterwards speak evil of me.' Mark 9: 38-39

We saw him
down the road, exhorting,
calling on Our Father
to cast out crazy Satan,
and for reference
he gave your name!

When we told him to stop
that he was not
authorized
and did not have the proper
credentials

he replied that
a spirit greater
than we twelve
guided his arms
as he waved
away the devil,

and he refused!

So, perplexed, we came to you,
indignantly begged you
to intercede, to cast this upstart
heretic into the muddy waters
from whence
he undoubtedly arose.

But again you surprise!

'Do not try to stop him, ' you said.

And here's a lesson:

remember that neither we
nor our apostolic descendants
must ever think that you
ever gave us exclusive rights
to salvation.

We'll try to remember.