Voice of Truth

Following Christ the King, a poem on John 18

Voice of Truth

John 18

Police and soldiers came
for the country preacher 
who'd arrived in the city.

He surrendered. 

They bound and questioned him.
His friend denied knowing him.

Priests called him a criminal.

The governor asked, Are you king?
Not of this world, he replied.

A crowd cried out
for the voice of truth
to be silenced —

Ecce Homo by Antonio Ciseri, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

---

I started this Substack site and mailing list with a poem inspired by the prologue to the gospel of John and the intention of writing my way through all 21 chapters. Ten months later, this is my 9th John poem and the first I’ve written since summer… and the election. Working on my sermon for the Feast of Christ the King last Sunday, I read Chapter 18 and jotted down notes for this piece.

I’m sending it out knowing it’s still an early draft. One of the gifts of this year has been revising poems I wrote decades ago, and how they transform. I look forward to completing and later returning to this John series in my ongoing poetic journey.

Word with God (1:1-14)
First Sign (2:1-11)
Bride (3:29)
She Said by the Well (4:5-42)
Searching Scripture (5:39-40)
Chase After that Full Feeling (6)
Extravagant Scent (12:1-13)
Come Have Breakfast (21:1-17)

---

Q: Where do you hear truth these days? Email your reply or comment on the Substack app.

---