I had a dream and in that dream
I saw a church high on a hilltop bathed in soft light
of holy picture hues
and in that church the people prayed with proper words
approved from on high
and they stood and knelt and bowed on cue
and were grateful that the faithful remnant included themselves
with smug pride they thought of the countless faces
in the multitude outside who were not welcome
those who sought love when prior love proved false
those who disagreed with pronouncements
that echoed from the walls of the church on the hill
with hollow phrases like "God will provide"
"if you fill the wombs you fill the pews" and
"God will be pleased"
the crowd outside increased and grew
as those inside became more strident in the condemnation
and the bishop came and the people in the church rejoiced
as he strode down the aisle crosier in hand and miter on his head
dressed in long colorful robes with overlay of white lace
that would be the proper colors and contrast for the cameras
he was proof that those inside were the chosen few
and the people outside heard his voice
and pleaded with him: give us Eucharist to nourish our souls
the bishop replied we have no priests to serve
but let us close your churches and sell them
to the highest bidders and use the funds to pay for our sins
and those we sought to deny and hide
we'll build a much larger church
with a mortgage whose payments will be one
of many good works that you can do
O God if only Tetzel were alive and the people said give us priests
and the bishop replied we shall go to foreign lands
to search for willing men and you will receive them
with love and tolerance though their culture and language
are unfamiliar to us all for the sacred oils have blessed their hands
God works in strange ways
and the people responded what of our own sons and daughters
whose hearts are filled with love and prayer
are they not worthy to serve are not priests those who are chosen
from among our people to lead and serve
was not Jesus from among his kin
did he not choose from among the common men around him
and was it not a woman who had the courage and love
to stand by his cross
and the bishop replied they are not fit
by gender or marital bond as the Holy Father of Rome once said
and will be repeated without challenge or reason
until the end of time
and the people were sad for they knew
they would be without priests to lead and welcome
into the family of the church
or to comfort, console or forgive
and more of those inside the church
filed out to join the throng outside
and some sought their solace in other sanctuaries
where God's love flowed freely and directly
not crushed by crosier or muffled through pointed hat
I had a dream and in that dream
I heard a priest and bishop too preaching
their voices were hollow and insincere and no one listened anymore
many began to examine the faults of those who preached
with their voices but not with their lives
I had a dream that the people outside began
to listen to another voice
one once condemned by those in the church on the hill
because he spoke the truth
and crowds began to gather with email and paperback books
and yellow-paged magazines
and they found honesty and love and God's grace at last
and the church on the hill fell silent
except for voices no longer heard