Bonus poem: Lord, Who Threw Out These Forty Days

Lord, Who Threw Out These Forty Days

Today my preacher announced the hymn,

"Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days,"

And immediately, I had a perverse thought:

What if Jesus threw out these forty days,

As in, threw out any glib, certain, outward penitence, 

And especially these days, all those "heartfelt"

Senatorial and Congressional prayers:

-Like from $4.5-million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Sen. Thom Tillis (R, NC)

"Please keep the victims, their families, first responders and the community in your thoughts and prayers."

-Like from $3.3-million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Sen. Marco Rubio (R, FL)

"Today is that terrible day you pray never comes."

-Like from $3.9-million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Sen. Cory Gardner (R, CO)

"I'm praying for our first responders."

-Like from $3 million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Sen Rob Portman (R, OH)

"Jane and I send our prayers to the school, the community, and the victims of this tragedy."

-Like from $3.1 million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Sen. Joni Ernst (R, IA) 

"Join me in praying for the students, faculty, and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, as well as their loved ones."

-Like from $1.1 million-campaign-help-from-the-N.R.A. Rep. French Hill (R, AR) 

"I would ask you to keep the community of Parkland, Florida, in your prayers as they reconcile the evil perpetrated against their community."

To these, and to so many others, I imagine Jesus saying,

"Woe to you, Senators and Representatives, hypocrites! 

For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, 

but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth."

And then, echoing the prophet, 

"I hate, I despise your festivals, 

and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies."

I cannot believe otherwise: Jesus throws out their prayers. 

Now the question is, who will throw them out?

Scott L. Barton