An Advent Poem

Joseph's Choice
Bryan Davis

A stone, O Joseph, cast a stone;
Obey the law she must have known.
A pregnant girl cannot deny
Her pose of virtue shouts a lie.

We stand beside you, stones in hand;
Just say the word to rid our land
Of harlots soiling God’s good name
By saying Yahweh is to blame.

O son of David, close your ears
To angry shouts that feed your fears,
For mercy calls with heaven’s breath
To rescue her from bloody death.

Believe her words; she tells no lie.
This virgin birth is prophesied.
Conceived by God is this new life;
Embrace her, take her as your wife.

Then Joseph looks upon his bride
Lamenting, sobbing at his side;
A stone in hand, the judge prepares;
Decide for wrath or grace to spare?

The law is clear, the sinner dies.
Yet who can judge with perfect eyes
This weeping girl who serves so well
And claims to bear Immanuel?

Believe a dream, an angel’s song?
Or trust the scribes and screaming throng?
Choose life and suffer scornful men?
Or death and never sleep again?

Again he looks at stone in hand,
A piece of rubble from the land;
It speaks of law, unyielding walls,
And spurns the sound of mercy’s calls.

While Mary weeps in sorrow’s gloom,
She carries grace within her womb,
The stone who comes to set men free,
A rock, a fount of liberty.

Then Joseph drops the stone from hell
And sets his hands on Mary’s swell.
“Believing you,” he says with tears,
“The only choice that wrests my fears.”

“And now I hold this stone of grace
Within a vessel fair of face;
I know you bring the Law of love
Who comes to us from God above.”