From: Pete <>
Newsgroups: uk.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Poem search
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1998 22:25:29 +0000

In article <>, Kim Tame <>
writes
>There is a poem, I think it is called The Long Silence, about a group of
>people on judgment day, who decide to sentence God to a human life - 
>If anyone has the words and can post them, I would be very grateful.
It dates from the early 1970s, I think. The words were published by UCCF
(then IVF). I have copied them almost verbatim, though I have adjusted
the language in places to be inclusive. It bespeaks a different culture
than that with which Christians now seek to engage, in that it has an
"edge" of student rebellion and assumptions about authority which don't
quite fit. It still represents an interesting attempt at a popular
theodicy (=explanation of the justice of God in the face of suffering).

***********************************************************************

At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain
before God's throne. Most shrank from the brilliant light before them.
But some groups near the front talked heatedly - not with cringing
shame, but with belligerence. 

"Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?" snapped a young
brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a
Nazi concentration camp. "We endured terror, beatings, torture, death."

In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. "What about this? he
demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. "Lynched for no crime but being
black."

In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. "Why should I
suffer?" she murmured. "It wasn't my fault." Far out across the plain
were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the
evil and suffering he permitted in his world. How lucky God was to live
in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping
or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that humanity had
been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered
life, they said.

So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because they had
suffered the most. A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly
deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they
consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their
case. It was rather clever.

Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what
they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to
live on earth as a human being. 

Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give
him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his
mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends.
Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted
by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured. At the last, let him see what
it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that
there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of
witnesses to verify it.

As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of
approval went up from the throng of people assembled.

When the last had finished pronouncing sentence there was a long
silence. No one uttered another word. No one moved.
For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence. 
-- 
Pete Broadbent
Archdeacon of Northolt