Poems from the Tent
A poem cycle by Jacob Hopper
Left
I left without being sent
there seemed to be no room in your tent.
You proclaim to love all
but you see my struggles not my all.
Can you take off your lace-laden glasses
can you see through your incense clouded Masses?
I am a human being
made in the image of the same Deity.
I left because there seemed to be no room at the table
But can we dialogue together? Are you able?
I want to come home
man was not meant to dwell alone
On what grounds can we agree?
On the mystery of the One we cannot see?
Help me understand my ultimate orient
Who is at the center of our tent?
Jesus, I want to feel at home in Your walls
to gaze on You who died for me, for all.
Speak truth through this journey
May we all come on our knees
to ask with open ears
Oh Jesus help us to hear.
Remain
I stayed back
everything else seemed to lack.
I desired stability and searched for clarity,
it came in the rituals of the old rite, never meant to incite a fight.
In the midst of the outside mess
within this form I found rest.
Please see too my heart is rent
As I wonder if you have room in your tent.
Is it a crime to seek Him in adoration
with incense as an evening oblation?
My veil is not pompous show
I wear it to remind myself of the dignity He bestows.
My brothers and sisters on the fringe
come back.
I need you in areas I lack.
I got shackles that need unhinged.
Liturgy wars need to stop
for this we need unity at the top.
The Spirit has indeed been sent
by Christ Who has us nest under one Tent.
Universal
What we need is catechesis
a soothing anamnesis
of why we believe
why some of us are called to bleed
for this ancient Creed
It’s not just words we say on Sunday
the Creed calls us to the Word
who died
but rose on that glorious Sunday.
We don’t need left and right
we need reverence and beauty
in the rites.
We need to remember
that we are all members.
We all have a space in this tent
Christ, we trust the Spirit You have sent.
To guide us not into new age
but to look back on the sacred Page
A return to You.
Jesus, You are our foundation
in Your Name we gather this Synod spanning Nations
to pray
and pay our devotion
to You.
From the Cross
My Arms outstretch left and right
My Blood pours out not so you can fight.
the answers you seek
will not be found from talking heads in seats.
they will be found
where Truth and Love abound.
I came for the Pharisees and sinners
Now I want to come to your dinners.
Each of You was made in My Image and Likeness
Look to Me to find your fullness.
The incense and lace are no good
if you don’t have space in your hearts.
The inclusive words and made up rites do nothing
when you do them merely for sight.
You all seem to have forgotten
the Only Son begotten.
Where am I in your pages?
You speak much of the spirit of the age
Gather your tent
under My Eucharistic Presence
from which the Apostles I first sent.
Theological debates will not decide
your ultimate fates.
Rather I will ask
did you heed my words
and take my message to the edge of the world?
to love is your one task
Did you follow the Beatitudes
or were you too concerned following your own moods?
Did you correct your brother
or simply encourage not to bother
because the Gospel is hard
and God might be asking them to live afar...
My yoke is easy and my burden light
but be careful that you don’t lose sight
When the enemy like a storm toss
fix your eyes on My Cross.
Cling to these words ever true
Abide in Me and I will abide in You.
Artist Statement:
This collection of poems seeks to express each person’s desire for intimacy with the Lord and each other. Realizing that the Synodal way is not meant to be divisive but unitive, these poems also express different views of different hearts all yearning for the same Person, Jesus Christ. The final poem of this piece, "From the Cross" reveals that not only do we thirst for Jesus, but He thirsts for us.
About the Artist:
Jacob is a young poet from Illinois, currently residing in Tampa, Florida. He grew up in a small Midwestern household and lived a happy simple life. In seminary, Jacob discovered a newfound way to pray through writing poems to the Lord. Recognizing that he couldn’t draw or paint, Jacob found words as a way to express the images and encounters he had during times of prayer. Now as a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame, Jacob works in faith formation at a local parish and seeks to help other young people find the language of their heart with which to speak with the One who knows each of us intimately.