Day 1008, Elijah 

 

Elijah of the Bible, Eliyahu ha navi,  (1)

Could call down fire from heaven to make all the people see

That Yahweh was the one true God, Creator of us all.

And, since we’re all His children, we should live in harmony.

 

He fought against idolatry and made the false gods fall.

Though kings and queens had worshipped them, Elijah smashed them all.

Now power and money are the false gods that plague us today.

Elijah would oppose them too and those who heed their call.

 

Today we have our own Elijah, who just passed away.

His words have come through loud and clear, like those of yesterday.

Since we are all God’s children, it’s a crime to just not care

What happens to the least of us, as some we know today.

 

Elijah Cummings, humble birth, whose faith taught him, “Be fair.

“To all of us, black, white, young, old, rich, poor, from everywhere.”

He lived the words of God and made our land a better place.

And now, he’s been called home.  Will we show that we’ve learned to care?

 

His time on Earth was all too short but now he’s run his race.

He’s passed the torch to us and he has stared us in the face

And asked each one of us, “It’s up to you; what will you do

“To save democracy and leave our land a better place?”

 

(1)  Eliyahu ha navi, English transliteration of the Hebrew for “Elijah the prophet.”