Beyond the Tomb

Man of Sorrows Seated on the Cross, c. 1522. Hans Weiditz (German, c. 1495-c. 1536). Chiaroscuro woodcut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1952.126

Beyond the Tomb

“Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭46‬ (See also Psalm 31:5)


Father, into your calloused hands I commit
my sweat-soaked work shirt and worn 
blue jeans, the dulled blade of my spade
and the frayed bootstraps I try
to pull myself up by. Father,

into your manicured hands I commit 
my stilettos and patent leather loafers, 
the pressed pants I’ve ironed to bring
home the bacon and earn the dough
as if this daily bread is mine to win, hey, 

Daddy, into your tender hands I commit
my report card, my touch down,
my honor roll and this sticker chart
I’ve collected as if I need to prove
that I’m worthy of you, oh, God,

into your empty hands I commit 
my miscarriage, cancer, grief, anger,
fear, despair, my demand for answers.
Father, I know in my bones
this is not how you rescue. 

Lord, seize from me these empty deliveries.
Woo me into the shade of your tree, where 
the slanted light you shape with pierced hands 
illuminates the way beyond the wood, and 
I will find you, O faithful One, beyond the tomb.