move off the page

For a week now we have been cast in the role of
Readers,
Students,
Scholars,
Doctors.

A week in the leisure class:
air conditioning,
many books,
assured food,
free time
with only a modicum of anxiety.

In our leisure, we have watched you move from verse to verse,
noticed the force of your verbs,
pondered your elliptical textual pauses,
And now we dare interrupt your anticipated Sabbath
with one imperative, for a moment
not scholars but petitioners in urgency.

So listen up:
You, majestic sovereign…move off the page!
move off the page to the world,
move off the page to the trouble,
move out of your paged leisure to
the turmoil of your creatures.

Move to the peace negotiations,
and cancer diagnoses,
and burning churches,
and lynched blacks,
and abused children.

Listen to the groans and moans,
and see and hear and know and remember,
and come down!

Have no sabbath rest until your creatures rest well, all of us.

Be your Friday self that your world may be Eastered.

Move off the page!

Amen.

- Walter Brueggemann