And as I entered there, I knelt, to pray,

with pious platitude upon my heart,

Just one quick glance about, and I would start.

I saw him from the corner of my eye.

A face so filled with love, for me

I knew him not, and wondered at his care,

And as I prayed, I knelt and watched him there.

At first, I did not know he watched me too

But soon the evidence showed upon his face,

For when I talked to God about my sins,

And told "MY" side of why I failed His grace,

Each tiny lie I added to my tale,

Brought forth a tear upon his loving cheek.

And as I justified my erring ways,

He turned upon me with His loving gaze.

The tears rolled down his face full stream,

I knelt there stunned, as if within a dream,

T'was then I recognized this man I saw.

As shamefully I wept, 'confessed it all.

I told the truth now, and choked on words

I never thought I'd say to anyone.

For t'was my Lord that sat and watched me there,

As piously I knelt, and lied in prayer.

Remembered then I did those words of scripture sweet,

That I had learned at my Grandmother's feet,

How the crowd had nailed my saviour to the cross,

And cursed and spat upon Him, adding to their loss.

And Paul who said, "When Christians start to sin

Nail this sweet man to his cross again."

My tears now scald my face, in shame I weep,

The scars he bears I notice, in hands and feet.

For 'twas my sins that bore him down that day.

And 'tis my sins that nail continually

That loving, weeping, man at God's right hand,

That my lifestyle would hang again upon the tree.

And weeping, as I turned to leave, in shame,

His nail torn hand reached and held my face,

His gaze, so tender, loving, ever kind,

Released me from the fetter's bind.

Rejoicing now I turned again to pray,

To thank my god for miracles today,

For saving me from the error of my way,

stands smiling he, and prays with me this day.

New life I have as God's throne I do seek,

Remembering how God loves the meek,

And Truth 'bove all, as we kneel in prayer,

For Jesus also stands, and watches there.

And loving me because I heard the call,

And helping me to overcome the fall.

For he's my brother, the leader of the "few".

Who leads me to live among the "new."

"Leave that old sinful past behind," he said,

And now I face each day without the dread,

For when I'm tempted to strain the strength of grace,

I see the tears of Jesus on his face.

Remember then I do of this day's prayer

Remember then, they sat and watched him there,

And I, where was I in that disgrace,

I see the answer in the tears upon his face.

And break my heart he does, when yet again,

I fail, and nail his poor hand once more.

But how to stop the cycle, don't you see,

Is what eludes, and torments you and me.

Scalding of the tears upon our faces

Never ends the guilty knowledge of our deeds

But his torn hands, his feet, his side,

Will ever haunt me, humbling my pride.

I approached the throne of God the other day,

And as I entered there, I knelt to weep,

My sins I told, the shame too much to bear,

I confessed, as he sat and watched me there.

But now I knew his love for me was true,

For now I truly asked God to forgive,

For deeds were truly told, and faults confessed,

His smile reached to my soul and did caress.

"Forgiven" ah! my heart now weeps for joy,

I've not felt such freedom since a boy,

For set me free he did, from sin's embrace,

And made me truly understand his grace.

I also know why he sits at God's right hand,

It is for us who need his loving touch,

Reminding us that once he walked with us,

Reminding us that he still loves us much.

And knows our every weakness, our every way,

'Tis how he knows to listen while we pray,

And weeps whene'er we fail truth to speak,

Because 'tis then he knows that we're still weak.

The wounds upon his body feel the pain,

The freshness of the nails, as driv'n again,

By our stubborn display of attitude,

Our disdain for truth, our pious platitude.

Our careless speech, our disregard for law,

combine to make us what we see in others,

But in ourselves we often fail to see,

The same behaviour patterns in us all.

For me he suffered such great agony,

For me he sends his saving love my way.

For me he sits and watches while I pray,

As I approach God's throne another day.