A Martyr's Salute

When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:54-60


--------Acts Chronicles Chapter 7: Jesus Stood- The Thoughts Of Jesus Upon Seeing Stephen Stoned

Certain things in life cut to the heart
and make you gnash your teeth together
like being unfaithful to a spouse, or
the proclivity to tell a lie as opposed to truth
or even exploiting the innocent for trivial gain
pilfering the last morsel of food from an invalid’s table
(by overtaxing and underpaying)
murdering the innocent, smirking at your reflection in his blood
as you shirk off underneath the glow of the moon
and yet life is rife with these sorts of phenomena
especially Jerusalem, even whilst Romans rule
Jewish citizens living dissolute lives
hearts wandering from the Messiah they so often lobby for
and so you pick-up stones
to quell the anger, the remorse and the shame
from spurning your heritage and worshipping
false gods of man-made customs and contrived rituals
substitutes for the innocent wonder
that accompanied our fathers' in the desert
as the red sea parted for us – yet drowned our enemies
thinking that death will silence the internal critics
within your consciousness (it wont)
but I can see the clouds cleave
and a new generation, a new epoch
nascent but with firm roots afoot
flourishing and displacing the old corrupt nature
nullifying the effects lingering from Eden
people who believe in hope rather than despair,
and would die for justice rather than take bribes
even amidst an onslaught of slander
with forgiveness in their hearts
for vile men


(I stand and salute this generation)
http://www.soaringspider.com/HeStoodUp.php