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We didn’t run that
wondrous night,
though some have
asked us why
when freed from all
the prison’s bars,
we didn’t even try.
Two guys were
thrown into our cell
and bound down
tight in stocks
by guards who knew
the order given
and used up all the
locks.
But we through
candle shadows saw
the ripped up
clothes and skin,
the caked on blood
in matted hair,
the pain they held
within.
The older said his
name was Paul,
his friend was
nearly dead.
The floor of stone
would sooth the burn
but for the stocks
of dread.
“What did you
do?” we all did ask
to warrant such a
treat.
It must be bad
beyond the norm,
beyond the ken and
beat.
Then Paul began,
ignoring pain,
to softly sing a
verse,
a simple hymn that
we all knew,
it from his soul
did burst.
Silas joined the
worship tunes
of faith and hope
and trust,
A psalm from
David’s heart and soul
transcended time
and dust.
Between the hymns
Paul gently said
what on earth
they’d done,
and what we heard
amazed us all
our souls were all
undone.
Paul spoke of God,
of Jesus Christ,
of times when he’d
been Saul,
of others he’d so
wrongly beat
because they’d
loved their all.
He seemed to think
his suffering
was not just simply
trust
of God in him, but
open doors
to prove his own
true lust
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to look for chance,
retaliate
against the Evil
One,
for all the
suffering he had caused
before he’d been
undone.
Their praise soon
drowned all earthly pain,
their focus
evident.
They sang the truth
of His true Reign
His Spirit’s
provident.
We had to hear, we
could not sleep,
there was no sure
escape
eternal words of
truth and love,
the worship of such
faith.
When the earthquake
hit so strong
we thought that we
were through.
Yet doors and
chains just fell away
as integrated
proof.
We sat in awe, we
could not flee
the power of loving
praise,
the truth of God
before our eyes,
the proof of love
and grace.
When one asked what
we should do
the voice we knew
as Paul
told a simple
choice to make,
to surrender all.
I’ve stayed in
touch with most of them
my cell mates from
that night,
our lives were
changed from deep within,
Paul gave us such
insight
to understand the
consequence
of sins and praise
of Him,
the need to worship
and to live
so fully free of
sin.
Looking back I can
now see
the chains of love
within
the power of His
simple love,
expressed in simple
hymns.
We didn’t run
‘cause deep inside
we could no longer
flee
the truth of sin
and sin’s release
we knew we’d been
set free.
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