The universe, disturbed in our favor.
John 3:16-18

In the words of that Prufrockian anthem,
"Do I dare disturb the universe?"
Or am I allowing the universe to disturb me?
The sneaky lacerations of a world
so persistent in its hatred
decorate my back as I bend willingly.

My brethren, my people do willingly
sing--with me--a world-tainted anthem,
its chorus declaring hatred.
If we don't, if we, instead, disturb the universe,
we anger the world.
We turn the blame on me.

We turn the blame on "I," and "we," and "me"
when we live willingly
in the world, not of the world,
choosing to sing Prufrock's holy anthem
while the universe
listens with jealous hatred.

The air is permeated by the scent of hatred.
The smell fills me
with fear of my powerlessness in this universe.
Faced with such power, I do not willingly
sing our song, Death's anthem.
I am not ready to go at the hands of this world.

And our timid singing is drowned out by the world
and its hatred,
screaming its anthem
to the beat of its whip cracking over me,
destroying life so willingly,
holding its claim to the universe.

Do we dare disturb the universe?
"For God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son," willingly.
That Son did not give into hatred.
Sometimes I do, but He has not condemned me.
He disturbed it first, and that is our anthem.

Father, thank you for writing our anthem, saving us, saving me, by composing a tune that broke sin and resisted hatred.
Thank you for disturbing the universe for us, loving this world by making the ultimate sacrifice so willingly.

Amen.

To read the poem by T.S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," go to http://www.bartleby.com/198/1.html or listen to Eliot himself recite it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhiCMAG658M.
--
Erin Daugherty
Assistant Director, Nelson Hall
Passport/Welcome Week Student Director, FYP