My willful soul, it grasps the sin

That hides in darkness deep within.

In shade of dark, in ash encrust,

      Planted deep in sin's dust.

My body, soul, my heart and mind,

Embraced the dust of humankind.

In darkness shade sin's birth was made.

      Soul for death; worthless trade!

To clear my face, my heart, my eye,

Of clinging dust in dark I cry.

In soul-parched dust, in thirst despair,

      Lungs grasp for breathless air.

An orphan lost, a son of none,

I yearn to see sin's battle won.

Yet came a man, true Heaven's Son,

      Son of God, only one.

He walked upon on this dusty earth,

Yet far from dust, from sin, his birth.

In matchless love he lived his life,

      Battle waged, sin's hard strife.

He told of love, not only told

But gave to all, his love from old.

The dust of earth to him clung not,

      Pure Love the battle fought.

A woman caught, her soul sin-bought,

By heartless men before him brought.

She fell in dust before his feet,

      Battle lost, tears, defeat.

He knelt upon the dusty stone;

His finger wrote with words unknown.

With words of love, accusers fled;

      Not judgment, grace instead.

He looked her deep into her eyes;

Love satisfies her deepest cries.

His tears matched hers, with Love fear fled;

      Death is gone, life instead!

Yet words of love do not suffice

To pay the ransom, sinners' price.

And so he trod the dusty path,

      Heavy cross, sin's dark wrath.

In tears the women watched him led

Up rocky hill, disciples fled.

Guards pierced the stone, drove cross through crust,

      Planted deep in sin's dust.

For deepest joy before him set,

Endured the pain, endured the death.

Water and blood ran down his side,

      In dust of earth to hide.

The skies grew dark, earth shook with fear,

At cry of death did curtain tear.

Centurion in witness awed:

      ``He was the Son of God!''

Lain in earth's tomb while guards stood fast,

Death claimed its victory at last.

Yet with his death, it's Death that died;

      Battle won, he's alive!

Immerse my soul in Love's embrace;

Drink deep of Life, be drenched in grace.

My soul-thirst cries, let Love quench all :

      Life with him, eternal.

Let darkness go, name writ in dust;

In source of living water trust.

From son of dust to child of God,

      Face to face, in awe!

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