Awake O Sleeper: A Scripture Meditation Poem
Claudia Hill Duffee, MA
January 7, 2009 (Edit 9/14/2010)
O generous God,
You invite us to life,
and give us the gift
of ourselves.
Awake O sleeper,
rise from death
put away empty things
you use to fill your time,
to flood your space,
to steal your place
as part of the human “race.”
Awake O sleeper,
rise from a living death
yes, you are alive
yet numb inside
you dull the pain
in many ways
you use empty things
to fill your time
to cramp your space
to numb your mind.
Awake O sleeper,
and arise from the dead 1,
you let events
confuse your mind,
stealing time
and your space
then you forget your place -
your assigned part
in this “human race.” Yes…
God gave you a responsibility
a mission, a job to do.
rise from the living dead,
lift up your head,
sort out your brain
so you can think -
once again.
Breathe slowly in,
grace and life begin.
Breathe forcefully out,
all the junk and doubt.
Break out!
Be free! O Lord
be pleased to deliver
me.2
O generous God,
You invite us to life,
and give us the gift
of ourselves.
1 Ephesians 5:13-15 (Amplified Bible) 13 But when anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.
14 Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light.
15 Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people).
2 Psalm 40:13 (King James Version) Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
NOTE: This poem can function as a prayer or can illustrate a lecture, sermon, or speech encouraging people to wake up and to focus on pursuing truth and God’s presence in their lives.
The poem can be used as a statement of warning regarding the bombardment of cultural influences that promote external control today over our lives by exerting its “worldly” influence via many cultural forms. Augusto Boal, in his book The Theatre of the Oppressed, warns us of this pedagogy in use today that results in cultural apathy using principles found in Aristotle’s Poetics. (Boal, 2008). Boal shows these methods using entertainment for control of power by establishing oppressive cultural norms. Unfortunately this classical format for narrative is used today in all forms of multi-media for entertainment and education and is especially powerfully in keeping the general population “asleep” and unaware of current and potential events.
(Boal, Augusto, Theatre of the Oppressed, London: Pluto Press, 2008.)
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