In My Name

All I asked of you
All I bade you
Was to be kind
	to your family
	to your friends
	to your countrymen
	to the foreigner
	to the children
"Be kind" I said.  "In my name."

You took those words
And murdered for two thousand years
In my name

You murdered and enslaved
You tortured and subdued
You lied and schemed
You pointed and jeered
You branded and you raped
In my name

You praised me in your temples
While your poor stood outside
You sang songs to me
Went home and hit your children
You thanked me for your food
And dropped death on your brothers
In my name

You stood in small circles
Swore to me the other circles were false
As they swore the same of you
And swore that those who called me different names
Were evil and brought terror and must die
You burned their babies
In my name

You chose among you a leader
You praise him as a saviour
You hope he will free you from your fear
Although he lies and cheats and harms
Although he kills in holy rage
You trust him because he says he speaks
In my name

And here are the other ones
Who know nothing of me and mine
Save what you have done to them
Who are kind because it is right
Not because I bade them so
For two thousand years
They are kind
In their own names
And the names of their fathers

Wherefore now the sheep and goats?

4/28/03