In the Sand

It was a hot dusty afternoon in town

Normal in all respects, with all the sounds and smells of the city

But that day the sounds were different, disturbing

Hearing the noise I ran to the end of the street

There in the small square near the temple, surrounded by high walls

A crowd of men were yelling and calling for punishment

Pharisees and common men were all pushing toward the front

The reason for this I could not see.

But along the wall I edged until I could get a good view

In the dust cloud kicked up by all the commotion, was a woman

Kneeling in the dirt, she was crying, covering her face and shaking

Everyone in the crowd was calling out “sinner, adulterer”!

And wielding large rocks they all waved them overhead

As the Pharisees recited the law out loud for all to hear

She was caught, guilty, and the law was to be obeyed

I grabbed a rock too but they all held back, from throwing,

Why? This woman deserved death and I was obeying the law!

Then I saw Him standing in front of her. A man I’d never seen before

With his hands held out to stop them. Why, I wondered?

This woman had been caught and the law was clear

Who was He to stop the Pharisees and God’s law?

“Get out of the way” we yelled, “or we will stone you too”

“You do not know her yet you protect her? Why?” someone asked.

Just then a hot desert wind gusted and the dust filled the air

Causing us all to look away for a second and cover our heads

It soon stopped; and as I unwrapped my scarf I could see the man kneeling

He was writing in the sand with his finger. What? Why?

We all looked at each other in wonder. What was this stranger doing?

Then He looked up, and with a voice, clear and vaguely familiar said:

“He of you who is without sin may throw the first stone”.

The whole crowd grew silent as we all stared at each other

Wondering what to do next; waiting for the first to throw his stone

But as stones began to drop to the ground, I still clutched mine

Soon, one by one everyone began to turn and leave.

Hidden partly by a doorway I watched as He helped her to her feet

And I heard Him say to the woman: “Go and sin no more”.

She kissed His feet and ran off crying as He knelt again to write in the sand

Raising His eyes upward He stared for a moment, stood up and was gone

Walking quickly to the spot where He wrote in the sand

My curiosity and wonder at a peak, I stooped down to read His writing.
Then I fell to my knees in shock, and shook when I read my name.

AC031008