[Editors' note: Below is a hymn written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette about health care and God's vision for our world. Unlike many of her pieces, this poem is not set to a familiar tune.]
We’re Made in the Image
We’re made in the image
The Message expresses,
The Good News attests
That we’re formed out of sod,
That we’re made every one,
Every daughter and son,
Every wandering one,
All the faithful and funny,
The thin and the brawny,
The fearful, the hopeful,
The cloudy, the sunny,
The sinning, the grieving,
The brave and the stumbling—
We’re made in the image of God.
Health care not fair don’t care too bare
Leaving out the poor
The children and the elders
Like mountainous boulders
Come crashing and crushing
The middle class women
Who struggle at paying,
The men who are broken,
The children, the hungry—
Want to see a doctor
For low fare—
Hearing: don’t care,
Go there,
Wait for the doctor,
The medicine, the money—
Go get Medicaid.
Wait your turn honey,
Time now to be afraid
Of what’s in front of me?
Is there hope for me?
People been saving
People been slaving
All of their lives,
Now they realize
Spend it down, hit the ground,
We’re caring for the greedy,
The wealthy and the haughty,
For they say they’re the worthy,
The high and the mighty—
No room for the sick
The nursing home mama
The struggling papa.
No — those in power,
The mighty of the hour,
Look what they say:
Just take away, take away,
Take away more
Take from the poor—
Don’t keep score
Don’t take notice
When the rich seek more.
Then we hear the Message:
We’re made in the image,
The good news attests
That we’re made by the One
Who created and blessed us.
We’re made in the image
Of the One who loves us.
We’re made in the image of God.
In the words of Isaiah
We see God’s vision—
It’s more than wishing
it’s a way of living.
For God is creating
A joy and delight.
They’ll be no more weeping
In the deep of night.
No more distressing
No children dying
From the great transgression
Of the greedy and the haughty,
They’ll be love and beauty
They’ll be justice for all to see.
As children live,
So the elders too,
Will become like youth—
They’ll be healthy, strong,
And they’ll live life long
They’ll build homes to inhabit,
They’ll have feasts of food
In the neighborhood,
Never bearing for calamity
But living in society
Healthy and strong
Living all life long
Not in health care danger
Not in fear or hunger—
LIke the days of the tree
Will the days of the people be:
The wolf and the lamb
Will feed together
Every son and daughter
Blessed by God the Father.
They’ll be love and justice
As the daily practice
As we live together
As the people of God.
For we’re made in the image,
Sure as grows the sod,
All are made in the image of God.
Based on Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 65:17-25
Text: Copyright © 2017 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved. Carolyn gives permission for free use (printing or performing) of this poem to those who support Sojourners.
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