performed at the 2010

CFAMC National Conference

by Malorie Dunlap, piano

John Gotsis, timpani

Noel Liakos, clarinet

William Vollinger, narrator Marc Wooldridge, marimba

words & music ©2010

by William Vollinger

On October 19th, 2008, Pastor Nagle's sermon is on the Gospel reading for the day, Matthew 22, verses 15 - 22. (Glory to you, O Lord.) It's when the Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus and ask him if it's lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not, and he says “Show me a coin” and asks whose image is on the coin, and they say “Caesar's”, and he says “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's”, and that shuts them up. (Praise to you, O Christ.) In her sermon Pastor Nagle explains that the image of Caesar is only on the coin, but that the image of God is alive like real people. I think about that.

Then I get on a bus into the City. When I get to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, there're a lotta lotta lotta lotta people. I get that kind of judgmental thought I always get, maybe you get, about how 500 people are in my way and they look unfriendly and cold. But then I stop and notice how I'm feeling unfriendly and cold too. Maybe they're thinking the very same things about me and the 500 people they think that I'm part of. I remember Pastor Nagle's sermon, how the people look cold to me like images on coins and not alive like real people. Then I begin to deliberately notice each one of these people and I think something like this about each one:

I see a heavyset Hispanic man wearing a football jersey with a “21” on it, and I think how he's made in the image of God.

I see a group of 6 or 7 white men and women in their 20s, all dressed up and laughing and hurrying, and I think how they're made in the image of God.

I see an Asian lady holding the hand of her about 5-year-old daughter, and they're hurrying, and I think how they're made in the image of God.

I see somebody who I can't tell whether it's a man or a woman, with headphones on, and

I think how he or she is made in the image of God.

I see a bigger Black kid poking a smaller Black kid and laughing, and a third Black kid trying to catch up with them, and I think how they're made in the image of God.

Then I notice how I'm feeling better now since I'm seeing God in other people. But all those other people aren't. That means I'm better than them. Whoops, then I realize that I'm wrong and how everybody here is made in the image of God.

I see a white guy with glasses who looks smarter than me, so I don't like him. Then

I think how he's made in the image of God so I can like him.

I think about somebody I know who says he's an atheist, but yet he's made in the image of God, and realize how God loves him just as much as He loves me.

I see a homeless looking guy with a baggy coat in the men's room, who looks bad and smells bad and he's sitting on the floor, but I think how he's made in the image of God.

Then I see a cop bending over and talking in a gentle way to this homeless-looking guy in the men's room, and I think how this cop acts like he's made in the image of God.

As I leave the men's room, I hurry towards what I think is the exit, but it's a mirror. I see an oldish white guy in my way. Then I realize that it's me. (It's me!) And I think how I'm… (made in the image of God.)

When I get to the street I look at my Google printout to see where I'm going next.