Ballade of the Bishop and the Empty Tomb
:The Bishop of Durham has. . . given the impression (quite wrongly) that he does not believe in the Resurrection, whereas his doubts concern the Empty Tomb.' Norman St John Stevas, the Times, 27 September 1984.
When English bishops chant the ancient creed, 'Born of the Virgin Mary' they must say, But from the See of Durham it's decreed We needn't take this in a literal way.
Born, well, perhaps; of Mary, yes, indeed.. But as for being born of virgin womb, They're sceptical, just as they'd all concede Their honest doubts about the Empty Tomb.
The early witnesses, we are all agreed, Were products of the thinking of their age. They might have seen him suffer, die and bleed, But had they a Theology MA, The Easter message might have changed indeed. And from the Garden to the Upper Room They might have run with quaking voice to breed Their honest doubts about the Empty Tomb.
Do not mistake our bishops, they will lead The flock from prejudice about the way In which the slaves of sin, of death, were freed Upon the first ambiguous Easter Day. They'll never let us quite forget the need For tolerance and balance: though there's room For words like Resurrection, don't impede Their honest doubts about the Empty Tomb.
Envoi Prince Jesus, heal the blindness of our eyes, That after death, through Purgatory's gloom, We all may see the Glory that did rise And left behind, on Earth, an Empty Tomb.
,1
A. N. Wilson
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