Justice on Our Streets

By Laura Arendt

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The nails of racial prejudice are driven into the palms of Jesus of Nazareth.
The nail of humanity’s injustice is driven into his feet.
The sword of hatred cuts deeply into his side.
A crown of 12 intertwining thorns
are pressed upon his head.
His royalty mocked amongst the tribes.
With his last breath he cries out to his Father,
As his body goes
Lifeless,
          Limp,
                    Empty.
The Savior dead,
          at the hands of an old and fallen empire...

Driven to the ground,
The knee of racism pressed into his neck,
With all the weight of humanity’s injustice.
Hatred stealing the breath from his soul,
as he cried out to his mother,
As his body went
Lifeless,
          Limp,
                    Empty.
Another black man dead at the hands of the American Empire.
Eight Minutes
Forty-Six Seconds.

The blood spilt out on the old rugged cross,
          cries out from the martyred streets of Memphis
From the streets of Oakland & Ferguson
          The streets of Cleveland & Philadelphia
                    Streets of Louisville & Sanford
                              On the streets of Minneapolis.
Say their names!
          Oscar Grant
                    Michael Brown
                              Tamir Rice
                                        Eric Garner
                                                  Trayvon Martin
                                                            Breonna Taylor
                                                                      George Floyd
Say their names!!!
Oh yes--
Justice will prevail,
          If we keep marching.
Compassion will be lived out
          If we keep testifying.
Mercy will anoint
                    And heal our brokenness
                              If we keep praying.
The Kingdom is on the horizon with the promise of the prophet’s dream.
And love----
          Oh how she will arrive,
                    On the wings of God’s holy peace!

Glory, glory Amen!

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Laura Arendt is a theopoet who became more intentional about her writing while earning her Masters of Divinity at Bethany Theological Seminary in Richmond, IN (USA). She grew up in Gettysburg, PA, but now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys living with her beloved life partner, John. 

Laura's other work on Foreshadow:
- Testify (Poetry, January 2022)
- Second-Hand World (Poetry, May 2022)

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