Jostling with the crowd to find a place,
on the edge of my seat, yearning, straining,
craning to see everything, listening intently,
sitting as close to the action as I could, urgent...
There were so many people crushed together
sensing strange perfumes of distant lands,
a mixing of languages I had never heard,
hearing every word of the debate,
dripping, bleeding into my spirit,
hanging on every distraction,
murmuring, arguing, trouble,
who Jesus was truly –
the Prophet, a heretic, the Messiah...
smells of sweat, of foreign foods,
the Temple alive, surging,
from early morning, past sunset,
for days on end...
Suddenly, the chaos was pierced -
Jesus, standing up, crying out,
Offering us all living water,
Declaring his identity, yet patient...
Urging us to believe...
I didn’t know what to expect, though I was expectant,
I had seen this Jesus yesterday,
I had heard his Galilean accent,
I saw him outside in the throng throbbing around him
the crush of so many strangers
I sensed there was something special
But I didn’t know it was him...
the one that the Pharisees were seeking,
the one causing trouble, healing,
not following the Law of the Sabbath...
How he had taught in the Temple,
How he had upended the tables...
How I longed to draw nearer,
to gather every morsel they were speaking
A murmur of rebellion, a hope;
but a cadence of objection, a curse of rejection...
I wanted to understand his message about water
But I did not dare to approach, to be seen...
I saw the guards, the Pharisees,
Their backs stiffened, on alert
to see the crowd's reactions,
wondering what would come next...
I drew ever closer, I walked with the crowds,
with his disciples, I was called to follow...
I marveled as he wrote their names in the sand
as the elders challenged him,
To condemn the woman
under the Law, their judgment,
but He overturned the tables,
forcing them to face the truth
the judgment upon them, leaving,
their stones in the dust...
I marveled at the silence
as He ministered to this fallen woman,
calling her to Him within her heart...
I hid on the edge, not wanting to be seen,
but He spoke to my heart
when He said, “I Am the Light of the World”,
He was speaking right through me
When He turned toward me and said,
“The Truth Will Set You Free”...
I fell-down in worship, I was overcome...
“Before Abraham was, I Am...”
I was in the presence of God!
=============
Edited March 2, 2026
the babble of their words – v3
Based on #John7
Based on John 7:53-8:11
Based on #John8
Based on #John2:13-17
John 5:1-18
John 18:18
Genesis 11:7-9
Acts 2:4-11
Men’s Thursday Night Bible Study
North Hills Church
All of my poems, photographs, and videos
are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved.
Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)
for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
on the edge of my seat, yearning, straining,
craning to see everything, listening intently,
sitting as close to the action as I could, urgent...
There were so many people crushed together
sensing strange perfumes of distant lands,
a mixing of languages I had never heard,
hearing every word of the debate,
dripping, bleeding into my spirit,
hanging on every distraction,
murmuring, arguing, trouble,
who Jesus was truly –
the Prophet, a heretic, the Messiah...
smells of sweat, of foreign foods,
the Temple alive, surging,
from early morning, past sunset,
for days on end...
Suddenly, the chaos was pierced -
Jesus, standing up, crying out,
Offering us all living water,
Declaring his identity, yet patient...
Urging us to believe...
I had seen this Jesus yesterday,
I had heard his Galilean accent,
I saw him outside in the throng throbbing around him
the crush of so many strangers
I sensed there was something special
But I didn’t know it was him...
the one that the Pharisees were seeking,
the one causing trouble, healing,
not following the Law of the Sabbath...
How he had taught in the Temple,
How he had upended the tables...
How I longed to draw nearer,
to gather every morsel they were speaking
A murmur of rebellion, a hope;
but a cadence of objection, a curse of rejection...
I wanted to understand his message about water
But I did not dare to approach, to be seen...
I saw the guards, the Pharisees,
Their backs stiffened, on alert
to see the crowd's reactions,
wondering what would come next...
with his disciples, I was called to follow...
I marveled as he wrote their names in the sand
as the elders challenged him,
To condemn the woman
under the Law, their judgment,
but He overturned the tables,
forcing them to face the truth
the judgment upon them, leaving,
their stones in the dust...
I marveled at the silence
as He ministered to this fallen woman,
calling her to Him within her heart...
I hid on the edge, not wanting to be seen,
but He spoke to my heart
when He said, “I Am the Light of the World”,
He was speaking right through me
When He turned toward me and said,
“The Truth Will Set You Free”...
I fell-down in worship, I was overcome...
“Before Abraham was, I Am...”
I was in the presence of God!
Edited March 2, 2026
the babble of their words – v3
Based on John 7:53-8:11
Based on #John8
Based on #John2:13-17
John 5:1-18
John 18:18
Genesis 11:7-9
Acts 2:4-11
Men’s Thursday Night Bible Study
North Hills Church
Poetry Where You Live.
Poetry, God, Christ, Spirit, John 7, Festival of Tabernacles, Festival of Booths, Pentecost, Babel, babble, Messiah, identity, Temple, confusion, living water, light, Abraham,
#poetry #God #Christ #Spirit #John7 #Temple #identity #Messiah #babel #babble #livingwater #light #Abraham
