A Common Man

(Song Lyrics)

He came to earth in poverty—

But we clamored for a king

Adorned in wealth and power,

Whose praises we could sing.

He lived among the poor folks—

The outcasts of his time;

But uneasy with that kind of god,

We erected him a shrine.

We embellished it with gold and jewels,

Elevated him so high,

Far above the common people

For whom he lived and died.

Jesus, where are you?

What have we done to you?

We changed you and we hid you

Far beyond the common view.

We made you an institution—

You who lived as common man—

And we declared by constitution

Your power in the land.

Jesus where are you?

Why is it we cannot see

The one you came to show us,

The Living Deity?

He was just a common man—

A poor carpenter by trade;

He spoke a simple wisdom,

And he lived a simple way.

But we are so insecure

Before the Cosmic Mind,

We must create a grander god—

You know, the Herculean kind—

We cannot have a poor man

As our God in human form;

We need an Olympian,

Who walks above the storm.

© Qoheleth, 2012