JUMPING OUT THE CHRISTENDOM BOX (1)
(A Spirit Pilgrimage)
i have lived my years within
the overarching umbrella of Christendom
worn-down to the rusting wires by now
but still THERE as a controlling spirit
for close to a billion people
Christendom?
that taking of the bush-builder Jesus
and his raw Spirit-Story
reformulated as Christ Pantocrator (2)
making him the ghost-in-the-machine
of a remade and remade and remade grand Empire
Here then is my story
of a love-hate relationship
with this ancient oppression
still at work in the world-psyche
1700 years later
i am here as still something
of an ecclesiastical functionary
with my own epiphanies and revisionings
considerably squeezed into a bi-polar frame by these archaic creedal formulations created by the winners of an ancient life and death word-battle in which there is only one winner
And so —
these remnants of long-hidden wars
focussed-on intensely worked-over words
in a crass kind of numbers-dance
choreographed
by an emperor seeking to give his empire a new integrating propaganda
And for the ongoing prisoners
of this Christendom way-of-being?
what of the questioning loyal opposition?
Here is the intense intimidation
to walk the orthodox tight-rope
in which neutered opposition
is presented through innuendo
and the use of word-hints
that say to the astute hearers
“There are other ways of looking at this”
And yet—
there is a freedom of sorts
that comes in bowing the knee
to the long-dead emperor
parroting the cultic credo
and getting on with living one’s heresy
as long as one is not too public about it!
Well that’s the way it was
i think — not “is”
— not QUITE anyway!!
But what of the NOW?
what of we who live in the awareness
of Constantine’s end?
an awareness that knows how strongly
his ghost still places a cold hand
upon our ongoing?
Ahhh — now — that is another story!!!
John Cranmer
Footnotes
(1) Contexting this Poem
Out of ongoing conversations with colleagues on issues of the nature of Christian Faith for our part of the 21st Century; this poem almost “popped out”, not quite of it’s own accord but almost. Yet it is the coming to fruition of a long Journey; still continuing.
It talks strongly of my commitment, loyalty (even love) for the “people of god”who walk a Christian journey. Yet an almost equal disaffection (mixed with a strange kind of respect) towards the expression of Church that is an overblown and legislation-bound cum property-management organization.
As you read and reflect, please keep in mind that at its core is a call, initially to myself, for the breaking with the imperial models of church that still strongly lurk around us; seeking the continued discovery (rediscovery?) of “christian experiences”that offer again diverse intimacy with the “Holy-Other” who meets us in surprising ways; so often when least expected.
(2) the omnipotent lord of the universe
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