A Woman Taken

They dragged her half naked body
through dusty streets.
She stood before you
to be judged.
Alone.
Helpless.
Already guilty in their eyes
with no one to protect her.

She waited for her death.
Not quick easy death
but slow painful torment
sport for malicious male mob.
Exposed to vile cruelty
she saw them pick up stones
eager to violate her body.
Eager to throw the first stone.

You calmly sat
judging their accusation
"Moses commanded us to stone such.
What do you say?"
You quietly bent down
and wrote in the dust
then stood tall and said
"Let he without sin cast the first stone."

She stood there in the dust waiting…
for the first stone to break bone.
for excruciating pain.
for suffering and dying.
After an eternity spent waiting
for the first stone
she opened her eyes
and saw she was alone with you.

She stood before you.
"Has no one condemned?" You asked.
Hope was born as she cried
"No one Lord."
You offer her paradox
with your words of life.
"I don’t condemn you.
Go and sin no more."

We don’t understand.
You offer forgiveness
but don’t tolerate sin.
Fully aware of our guilt
your demand is impossible.
Yet you offer us gift
of life and transformation.
Lord how can both be true?
John 8:2-11
© Presbypoet, March 10, 2004
(one of the woman taken in adultery poems)

Do you understand the answer to the paradox?