The Apostle Paul's Phylacteries

Feb. 23, 1998

This poem is a narrative,

designed to make you smile.

But if a verse gives you a frown,

then ponder for a while.

A Messianic rabbi emailed to me his thought,

about my recent poetry which made him so distraught.

He told me the Apostle Paul was never truly seen,

to eat a food unkosher or touch a thing unclean.

Immediately I discerned this point of incredulity

To be a statement of belief devoid of honesty.

How could this man ignore the facts just begging to be read,

It must be his theology has made him turn his head.

But I replied with gentleness, a story I construed.

Of a man whom I knew once, whose belief's I did reprove.

He said he had the utmost proof of Jesus' origin,

Of Ethiopian descent and with the blackest skin.

But tersely I proved otherwise, the matter to dispatch,

I showed my poor opponent that he was not my match.

My victory was stolen in this misconceived debate.

I should have kept my mouth shut,

but regrets were now too late.

The man's beliefs were fixed upon his fragile little yarn,

The victory that I had gained had not been worth the harm.

I emailed back this story to the rabbi to relate,

That all the truth that we behold,

May not be worth debate.

If we can just appreciate the soul that we approach,

When loving wisdom we express,

The truth we will promote.