A Day in the Life of the Risen Jesus

Jesus is homeless.
Jesus hasn’t had a shower
or a haircut
or a shave
in a long, long time.

Jesus sleeps in a cardboard box
down by the river,
dreaming of sweet Mary Magdalene.

Jesus rises with the sun,
washes his hands with water from a plastic jug.

Jesus kneels on his dirty sleeping bag,
and chants the Shema:

The Lord our God is One…

Jesus walks a mile to the labor pool,
looking for a day’s work.

Jesus speaks Spanish fluently;
with his olive skin he could be mestizo.
Jesus is a hard worker and knows some carpentry.

Jesus usually goes out on a job
with a construction or lawn crew.

Jesus could make foreman,
but he drinks a little.
Jesus often disappears for days and weeks
and no one knows where.

Blessed be the Unspoken Name
and the Unseen Kingdom…

Jesus cashes his paycheck at FastCash,
crosses the street to the liquor store
lays down money for the jug wine
he will share with his friends
down by the river.

And you shall love the Lord, your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your might.

Jesus stays up late
drinking and talking with his brothers, brother to all.
Jesus didn’t come to save, this time.
There’ll be no healing, this time.
No miracles, this time.
No water into wine, even when the bottle’s empty.

These words will command you today in your heart:
teach the children.

Jesus washes his hands
with water from the plastic jug,
under unseen stars.

Jesus chants the Shema:

when you sit at home,
when you walk along the way,
when you lie down and when you rise up.