Dangerous Memories

Not in the pious memories of the infant
cuddled in his mother’s Christmas arms
or the inert, innocent corpse
in a grieving mother’s Calvary arms

but in the dangerous memories
of a full-blooded Jesus:
eating with outcasts, gays, beggars, refugees,
the full-throated Jesus telling unsettling stories
to the scheming, angry powers that be. 

A fully loaded Jesus not concerned
about property, propriety or purity, 
the guy they loved so little
they nailed him to a cross.

Jesus, it’s easy to forget, remind me
of the dangerous memories.

Thank You for being part of this poetry community. If you like these poems, share Holy Poetry with a friend. May you have a blessed 2025.

The term “dangerous memories” was introduced into theology by Johann Baptist Metz.

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