Summary of the Poem
The poem, inspired by Galatians 6:14, expresses the speaker’s rejection of worldly pride—wealth, power, wisdom, and fame—as empty and fleeting. Instead, it celebrates exclusive glory in the cross of Jesus Christ, portrayed as the ultimate symbol of divine love, redemption, and sacrifice. Through vivid imagery of the crucifixion, it contrasts human vanity with the transformative power of Christ’s death, which breaks sin’s chains, heals the broken, and offers eternal hope. The speaker vows lifelong devotion to this “scandalous” truth, culminating in heavenly glory.
(A poem inspired by Galatians 6:14 – “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”)
In shadowed halls where empires rise and fall,
Where crowns of gold and thrones of pride enthrall,
I stand unbowed, my heart a barren field—
No harvest reaped from flesh’s fleeting yield.
The laurels wilt, the scepters turn to dust,
Ambition’s fire consumes in hollow lust;
Wealth whispers lies, and fame’s bright banner fades,
Leaving the soul in echoes of parades.
Yet one lone beam pierces the midnight veil,
A rugged cross where heaven’s mercies hail—
There, Love incarnate bled in crimson tide,
And bore my shame where justice crucified.
No boast in wisdom’s towers, sharp and high,
No glory in the strength that dares defy;
The world recedes, its chains fall shattered free,
For in that cross, my Savior died for me.
Oh, scandal of the ages, foolish sign!
The King of Glory on a tree divine—
Through splinters deep and thorns that crown His brow,
Redemption flows, and every knee must bow.
Let poets sing of stars and seas profound,
Let warriors claim the battle’s vict’ry sound;
I have no song but this eternal theme:
The cross alone, my hope, my light, my dream.
For by its power, the dead in sin arise,
The broken mended, blind receive their eyes;
In Christ alone, the veil is torn apart—
Nothing to glory in, but His wounded heart.
So let the ages roll, and tempests rage,
I’ll cling to Calvary through every stage;
Till faith gives way to sight in realms above,
And glory crowns the cross of boundless love.
