My days were begun on the Island of Crete
My father a Roman, my mother a Greek.
I joined with the Legion my twentieth year
And fought with great valor both far and near.
It wasn't too long, I was still then quite young
When the Legion was posted to Jerusalem.
There in the barren dry desert heat
The Peace of Rome we were ordered to keep.
The land was filled with many a prophet,
Berating one's sin, commanding to stop it.
Then others would claim "I'm the coming Messiah!"
Mostly they'd perish when exposed as a liar.
I obeyed all my orders except when off duty,
Gambling and drinking and terribly unruly.
Promotions came slowly with no war to earn them
Our Leaders content, few rebels to spur them.
A new voice in the land had now come to pass
A voice that would change my ignorant past.
It did not affect me, no not right away
But it did overwhelm me in just a few days.
I'd heard of this man they said could do miracles
And spoke spiritual lessons in sayings called parables.
The great Jewish leaders had had quite enough
They sent soldiers to seize him, it couldn't be tough.
He was brought first to Pilate who sent him to Herod
Who, fearing the blame, thought how to obscure it.
Now sent back to Pilate who ordered him scourged,
Our scourger unleashed, to violence was urged.
Outside of our quarters within the Praetorium
Mocking, we beat him with none to speak for him.
I wasn't shocked, I'd seen beatings before,
But somehow for this man, the cruelty flowed more.
I'd seen enough, I just had to leave,
No business of mine, No reason to grieve.
Besides, they'd release him, his friends would be there
To bandage and cleanse him, he'd be in good care.
I woke the next morning, one shaking my shoulder
A guard job assignment, the new days new order.
Some priests from the Temple, afraid of a theft
Last night came to Pilate with their strange request.
The day before, a man nailed to a cross
Was placed in a tomb of one pained by his loss.
Because of his friends, the Priests were afraid
They'd remove him at night from the grave where he lay.
For a couple of days we stood by his tomb.
We talked, ate, and slept, there was nothing to do.
Then came that dawn, (I will always remember)
The ground 'neath us shook with a terrible tremor.
I lay in a daze for I don't know how long,
My friends who were with me all seemed to be gone.
I rose to my feet and glanced to the tomb.
The mouth was wide opened! My chest filled with gloom!
If the body was gone, it could mean my death!
I softly approached and took not a breath.
There in the darkness, my eyes focused slowly
What lay on that slab were death wrappings only!
My life flashed before me! I knew we would die!
The events of that morning we never could hide!
His friends didn't take him, they couldn't get by us!
The stone never moved by the dead man called Jesus!
Perhaps by the quake? No. It's just much too big.
You'd need several men and some kind of rig.
Perhaps - Wait! I hear some one coming...
I stepped from the tomb, in fear I left running.
I hid 'neath a bush to see who it might be,
Perhaps a Centurion was searching for we.
Never before had I forsook my post.
I couldn't run now, I'll stay and stay close.
I crouched there in silence, and looking around
A single Jew woman was all that I found.
She paused for a moment, then entered the tomb.
I heard her cry out, then she fled from that room.
After she left, I lay there in fear.
The events of the morning all seeming too queer.
I lay there and watched for awhile to observe.
Though maybe just needing to quiet my nerve.
My mind once in tumult, then started to clear,
The talks that we'd had the night we came here.
I'd talked then with Lucius, what was it he said?
He said he'd been there, had seen he was dead.
The Centurion in charge had been so amazed
He'd spoken aloud, to the cross he had gazed;
"Surely it's true" he spoke in such awe,
"Surely this must be the One Son of God!"
And Lucius had said as he told us the news
All the man said as he hung 'tween the Jews;
How he whispered in pain and forgave some their sin
And cried out aloud, how his father forsook Him.
And then he was buried and strangely he isn't....
And All I can think is that Somehow He's Risen!
Someone is shouting! I hear hear someone running!
A man stops at the tomb, another is coming.
He moves past the first and rushes inside,
Now the woman approaches and stops by their side.
In awe and confusion the men flee up the hill
And the woman now weeping is standing there still.
She's turned to the tomb and is speaking to someone
But I know in that tomb, I know there is No one!
Suddenly from nowhere, in the breath of a moment
A man is behind her, I noticed no movement!
Startled she turned and they spoke to each other.
I lay there and watched, I could only wonder...
All of a sudden she cried out, "Rabboni!"
Rabboni! Rabboni! echoed her cry.
And in that one word all my foundations fell.
My beliefs, all my values, I was left but a shell
If it was He, He could only be God!
To reject what I saw would be so much fraud.
To see Him right there, to see God so near,
Now made my soul quake, my eyes closed in fear.
I drowned in my fear and silently wept
Till I turned to my side as I heard there a step.
He stood there above me. His arms opened wide
And bid to me rise, my fears cast aside.
I reached up to Him and He took my hand
His strength flowed through me, He helped me to stand.
I stood there before Him as He said "Believe."
His face filled with Love as He then turned to leave.
It's been many years since He took my hand.
And I've spoke of His love in many a land.
Far to the east on the shores of Bithynia*
And far to west in the hills of Iberia.**
But so many years, it was time to retire.
For so many years I served this empire.
So I asked to serve my last years at home.
They sent me instead to serve here in Rome.
I'm now assigned to the household of Caesar.
I had no Idea that you too would be here.
I asked that part of my new guard assignment
Would be to help guard you while here in confinement.
I'd heard much about you when you were called 'Saul'
And I longed so to meet you since He named you 'Paul.'
I'm now here to serve you as we are now brothers
And help you write others to Love one another.
We've served many years in our Masters service
So now as you write of how great His love is,
I'll see to the sending of each of your letters
Till He's taken us home to be with Him forever.
* A Roman province on the north shore of Turkey.
** A Roman province now known as Spain.
Copyright 1996 by Al Denison
Begun in San Diego at a Horizon Christian Fellowship Sonrise Easter service at Sea World in San Diego in 1996.
My father a Roman, my mother a Greek.
I joined with the Legion my twentieth year
And fought with great valor both far and near.
It wasn't too long, I was still then quite young
When the Legion was posted to Jerusalem.
There in the barren dry desert heat
The Peace of Rome we were ordered to keep.
The land was filled with many a prophet,
Berating one's sin, commanding to stop it.
Then others would claim "I'm the coming Messiah!"
Mostly they'd perish when exposed as a liar.
I obeyed all my orders except when off duty,
Gambling and drinking and terribly unruly.
Promotions came slowly with no war to earn them
Our Leaders content, few rebels to spur them.
A new voice in the land had now come to pass
A voice that would change my ignorant past.
It did not affect me, no not right away
But it did overwhelm me in just a few days.
I'd heard of this man they said could do miracles
And spoke spiritual lessons in sayings called parables.
The great Jewish leaders had had quite enough
They sent soldiers to seize him, it couldn't be tough.
He was brought first to Pilate who sent him to Herod
Who, fearing the blame, thought how to obscure it.
Now sent back to Pilate who ordered him scourged,
Our scourger unleashed, to violence was urged.
Outside of our quarters within the Praetorium
Mocking, we beat him with none to speak for him.
I wasn't shocked, I'd seen beatings before,
But somehow for this man, the cruelty flowed more.
I'd seen enough, I just had to leave,
No business of mine, No reason to grieve.
Besides, they'd release him, his friends would be there
To bandage and cleanse him, he'd be in good care.
I woke the next morning, one shaking my shoulder
A guard job assignment, the new days new order.
Some priests from the Temple, afraid of a theft
Last night came to Pilate with their strange request.
The day before, a man nailed to a cross
Was placed in a tomb of one pained by his loss.
Because of his friends, the Priests were afraid
They'd remove him at night from the grave where he lay.
For a couple of days we stood by his tomb.
We talked, ate, and slept, there was nothing to do.
Then came that dawn, (I will always remember)
The ground 'neath us shook with a terrible tremor.
I lay in a daze for I don't know how long,
My friends who were with me all seemed to be gone.
I rose to my feet and glanced to the tomb.
The mouth was wide opened! My chest filled with gloom!
If the body was gone, it could mean my death!
I softly approached and took not a breath.
There in the darkness, my eyes focused slowly
What lay on that slab were death wrappings only!
My life flashed before me! I knew we would die!
The events of that morning we never could hide!
His friends didn't take him, they couldn't get by us!
The stone never moved by the dead man called Jesus!
Perhaps by the quake? No. It's just much too big.
You'd need several men and some kind of rig.
Perhaps - Wait! I hear some one coming...
I stepped from the tomb, in fear I left running.
I hid 'neath a bush to see who it might be,
Perhaps a Centurion was searching for we.
Never before had I forsook my post.
I couldn't run now, I'll stay and stay close.
I crouched there in silence, and looking around
A single Jew woman was all that I found.
She paused for a moment, then entered the tomb.
I heard her cry out, then she fled from that room.
After she left, I lay there in fear.
The events of the morning all seeming too queer.
I lay there and watched for awhile to observe.
Though maybe just needing to quiet my nerve.
My mind once in tumult, then started to clear,
The talks that we'd had the night we came here.
I'd talked then with Lucius, what was it he said?
He said he'd been there, had seen he was dead.
The Centurion in charge had been so amazed
He'd spoken aloud, to the cross he had gazed;
"Surely it's true" he spoke in such awe,
"Surely this must be the One Son of God!"
And Lucius had said as he told us the news
All the man said as he hung 'tween the Jews;
How he whispered in pain and forgave some their sin
And cried out aloud, how his father forsook Him.
And then he was buried and strangely he isn't....
And All I can think is that Somehow He's Risen!
Someone is shouting! I hear hear someone running!
A man stops at the tomb, another is coming.
He moves past the first and rushes inside,
Now the woman approaches and stops by their side.
In awe and confusion the men flee up the hill
And the woman now weeping is standing there still.
She's turned to the tomb and is speaking to someone
But I know in that tomb, I know there is No one!
Suddenly from nowhere, in the breath of a moment
A man is behind her, I noticed no movement!
Startled she turned and they spoke to each other.
I lay there and watched, I could only wonder...
All of a sudden she cried out, "Rabboni!"
Rabboni! Rabboni! echoed her cry.
And in that one word all my foundations fell.
My beliefs, all my values, I was left but a shell
If it was He, He could only be God!
To reject what I saw would be so much fraud.
To see Him right there, to see God so near,
Now made my soul quake, my eyes closed in fear.
I drowned in my fear and silently wept
Till I turned to my side as I heard there a step.
He stood there above me. His arms opened wide
And bid to me rise, my fears cast aside.
I reached up to Him and He took my hand
His strength flowed through me, He helped me to stand.
I stood there before Him as He said "Believe."
His face filled with Love as He then turned to leave.
It's been many years since He took my hand.
And I've spoke of His love in many a land.
Far to the east on the shores of Bithynia*
And far to west in the hills of Iberia.**
But so many years, it was time to retire.
For so many years I served this empire.
So I asked to serve my last years at home.
They sent me instead to serve here in Rome.
I'm now assigned to the household of Caesar.
I had no Idea that you too would be here.
I asked that part of my new guard assignment
Would be to help guard you while here in confinement.
I'd heard much about you when you were called 'Saul'
And I longed so to meet you since He named you 'Paul.'
I'm now here to serve you as we are now brothers
And help you write others to Love one another.
We've served many years in our Masters service
So now as you write of how great His love is,
I'll see to the sending of each of your letters
Till He's taken us home to be with Him forever.
* A Roman province on the north shore of Turkey.
** A Roman province now known as Spain.
Copyright 1996 by Al Denison
Begun in San Diego at a Horizon Christian Fellowship Sonrise Easter service at Sea World in San Diego in 1996.
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