From the recording Sipping Maples [DEMO]
Trying my best to humbly channel all the Chris de Burgh I could muster. I admittedly fell far short of that target from a vocals standpoint but I'm proud of the words I collected into this short story.
Everyone, whether they're Agnostic, Religious or Spiritual have been touched by the concept of "god". This story explores what might transpire if that being suddenly appeared before an Atheist. Many paths in my own personal life have caused me to contemplate such a fanciful possibility and, as a non-practicing Atheist myself, this is how I imagined it might unfold...
Lyrics
Jesus Came Walkin'
Jesus came walkin’ up to my porch,
and pulled up a rocking chair.
"I've got questions for you brother.
A catechism of sorts."
he said, as he threw back his hair.
“Forgive me,” I said as I
flashed an audacious smile,
“I have water but I’m out of Ice-Nine.
Still I do believe you’re an oenophile?”
as I teased an empty goblet for wine.
O mercy me… Jesus came walkin’...
Jesus came walkin’ up to my porch,
and pulled up a rocking chair.
"Prepared for my coming;
though not quite how I’d hoped."
he said, as he threw me a stare.
(I said) "Oh I’ve read all your books,
the old and the new,
not exactly Pulitzer worthy, I’d say.”
(then I asked)
“Were you surprised to have been crucified,
after your old man spewed so much hate?”
O mercy me… Jesus came walkin’...
Jesus came walkin’ up to my porch,
and pulled up a rocking chair.
"No, I wasn’t astonished
to find myself on the cross it’s
kinda hard to forbear a forebear."
"Ha! Cleverly put!
You should have done that in your books!”
I exclaimed as he went on to say
“but I take comfort to see
you have questions for me.
Shows you might believe in your own unique way.”
O mercy me… Jesus came walkin’...
Jesus came walkin’ up to my porch,
and pulled up a rocking chair.
"I’ll take a kind Atheist over ten hateful ‘Christians’.”
he said “This truth is what I bring to bear.”
“For he'll atone for his transgressions,
if the Reaper comes to beckon
and stand calmly on judgement day.”
I said “I’m listening.” and he threw me a grin
as he got up to start walking away.
“So,” I said “it was never about me
believing in you,
it’s about whether you believe in me.”
He stopped on the steps “So simple, it’s complex.”
Threw me a nod and took his leave.
O mercy me… Jesus came walkin’...
_________________________
© L. Normand, 2016
All rights reserved.