Living in Light

Meaning in Psalm 22

Alfred D. Byrd

THE ONE, our God, the Maker, is holy,
Living in light that reveals the truth:
The One is unique, without an equal.

Praises of angels and praises of humans,
The Maker's creatures who know of the One,
Resound forever before the King
Who sits on the Throne at the heart of all.
The ones who trust in the One Who made them —
Crying to God in times of trouble,
Faithful servants of God are heard —
Receive salvation, freedom from fear
Of sins as chains, or of death as the end.

The One is holy, but humans have fallen,
Going astray from light to darkness.
Seeing passing delights of the world,
The eyes of mortals lose sight of God,
And the feet of mortals wander on roads
That end one's journey only in death.
From worship of God, we humans have turned
To worship of things that make us seem great.
From service to God, we humans have turned
To ruling the earth — to making others
Subjects or slaves, the weak to the strong.

The One Who made us has not, however,
Left us alone to perish in darkness.
Loving us always despite our fall,
The One has sent us, to save us, a Shepherd,
Making a way for sheep that have strayed
To come to safety beneath His staff.

A few who met the Shepherd rejoiced
At seeing His light, the light of heaven
Carried to earth to guide our steps
Away from darkness to light eternal.
Others, however — the many, the proud —
Rejected the Shepherd, hated for calling
Hypocrites persons who treasure the dark.
A world of worship focused on self
And a world of rulers focused on power
Mingled their wills to put out the light
Of the One Who came with freedom from darkness.

Evil has found a time to be strong.
The Shepherd is seized! Like beasts of the field
That feast on death or that hunt for lives,
The children of darkness, both priests and rulers,
Fasten the Shepherd in chains and take Him,
Innocent victim, declared by judges
Guilty of deeds that are right to God.

A death of shame awaits the Shepherd.
Carrying something of what will kill Him ‐
Timber, once living, reshaped for death! —
He staggers onward to heights of scorn.
The ones who are blind to the light of God
Are mocking the Light Who walks among them.
Heaven begot Him, virgin conceived Him —
None of this matters to those who desire
To see the Shepherd forever silenced.

(Many today consider one nation
Guilty alone of killing its King.
The ones who say so are blind to the truth:
They, too, took part, through lies and through crimes,
Of putting to death their King, the Shepherd.)

Clothing removed is used as a prize
In a game of chance for those who gamble,
Caring nothing for nails that have pierced
The hands and the feet of the One Who loves,
Despite their hatred, the ones who hurt Him.
Darkness is hiding the light today.
They raise Him aloft for the world to see
The response of darkness to light and to truth.
The ears of the world mishear when He cries,
"My God, my God, You have left My side!"
They think, "He knows, 'My cause has been lost,'"
But they fail to perceive the will of heaven:
Something other than what they have planned
Has occurred before their eyes this day.

The One has sent the Shepherd to die
To pay the debt to justice of humans
Flouting their God, but summoned to turn
From darkness to light when they hear the Word.
The Word? The Shepherd has risen from death.
The hand of God has brought renewal,
Rescue from dark and from death for all
Who accept the message of peace with God.

Although for now corruption goes on
With rulers of death and with priests of lies
In charge of a world that takes its own path,
The ones who serve the Shepherd arisen
Savor a promise given by God:
The reign of evil is not eternal;
Heaven looks on, and has set a time
For kings and for priests to fall from their thrones,
And for God alone to reign unchallenged,
Welcoming children once dead back to life.

If this poem spoke to you, you may enjoy my Biblical epic poems

A Song of the One, the age-old account of Creatlon, Fall, Redemption, and Glory retold in verse for a new millennium, and

The Stars Bow Down: An Epic of Joseph, the timeless tale of a favorite son whose brothers sold him into slavery, but whom God raised from a prison to save the known world from famine.