John 2:13-17

Tearful Anger

Entering the Gentile Outer Courts
The same ones he walked through with sacred awe at twelve

Confidently and gleefully approaching sages of the Torah—
His parents a day’s travel toward home
His brothers harassing the caravan camels owned by richer Passover pilgrims—
Heading back from Spring Break for the boredom of Hebrew School

Remembering sitting still
And sharing deeply seated and emerging faith

Now this same smooth and pristine limestone floor
Even now only forty-five years out of God’s primordial quarry
Smeared with goat droppings
Sandals sliding on steaming brown cow piles
Spots of cool white pigeon slime

But worse—that once quiet and holy place
Now flagged wall to wall with pious looking dealers in shekels—
“Only ½ shekel to turn your Drachmas and Denarius into currency suitable for God!”

Lord, the Temple tax itself is only a half shekel—This is highway robbery!

Now twenty-nine years old
The Nazarene gathering up a remembered zeal
And fashioning the goats’ leads into a whip
Gathering up an anger
Gathering up a sweet and sad memory of a time
When Gentiles could actually pray with outstretched arms
Lifted in reverence to the Hebrew God they humbly dared approach

Is nothing sacred anymore?

                                                                                          —David Blauw