The story is a cross of woe,

Of violence and disgrace;

We hear him cry in agony;

We see his tortured face.

For as we see him sorely crushed

In evil so profane,

We can but wonder why it was

That ‘innocence’ was slain.

His one defence was doing good;

He loved the weak and poor;

He shunned religious hypocrites

Who lived by every law.

He challenged all prestige and power,

Yet said he could forgive;

For this he paid the utmost price.

They could not let him live.

The ruling structures of his day,

Corrupt and so unjust,

Unleashed their hatred and their fear,

Urged on by power lust.

So death came quickly, tragically;

They judged that was the end;

By killing him, they thought they’d won;

They could not comprehend.

For courage and integrity,

Compassion and good will

Are not destroyed by wilful men;

In Christ they flourish still.

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George Stuart. Used by permission