Jesus and the Boys

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all." Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.     - Mark 9:30-37

Like seven-year-olds wearing black capes

and flying through the green back yard

we spit and sputter in staccato speech

I’m the greatest… no I am…. no really it’s me

all while listening to our Jesus buddy ramble on

about betrayal and death and a whisper about after that

but we raise our pecan stick swords way high over head

and battle and pretend a beheaded victory

still the Nazareth dude nullifies our superhero powers

with a reminder of the one thing that deflates all grandiosity:

someone has come to serve you and lift you up

even the child in you that imagines you alone lift up yourself

and so we crack the sticks on our knees, untie our capes

and pray: help us redefine greatness once more through you

help the boys let go of grasping after fake powers

help the boys become men with life to give away