Friday, January 4, 2008

I've been listening to the song "Missing" by Evanescence a lot lately. Here are the lyrics:

Please, please, forgive me
But I won’t be home again
Maybe someday you’ll look up,
And, barely conscious, you’ll say to no one,
“Isn’t something missing?”

You won’t cry for my absence, I know;
You forgot me long ago.
Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?

Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone.
Isn’t someone missing me?

Please, please, forgive me
But I won’t be home again
I know what you did to yourself
I breathe deep and cry out
"Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?"

Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone.
Isn’t someone missing me?

And if I bleed, I’ll bleed
Knowing you don’t care
And if I sleep, just to dream of You
I’ll wake without you there.
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t something....

Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you loved me
I’m all alone.
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?

To me, the lyrics are very evocative of the story of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he waited for Judas to come to betray him. If I recall correctly, this was right after the Last Supper. I can't recall exactly when Christ told Peter that Peter would deny him three times, but I think that was right around the same time, either at the Supper, or before the disciples all fell asleep in the Garden, failing to keep Christ company for even the hour he requested of them.

I'm thinking that with a few changes to the lyrics, the song could actually be used to act out the story, perhaps at Easter Sunday services; our church generally does do a theatrical presentation on Easter Sunday, and the 5:00 p.m. service each Sunday features a Christian rock band, so I'm fairly sure I could get people interested.

These are the lyrics as I have tentatively rewritten them for that purpose (changes in italics):

Judas (as he is leaving the Last Supper):
Please, please, forgive me
For what I’m about to do


Jesus (to Judas as he goes):
Maybe someday you’ll look up,
And, barely conscious, you’ll say to no one,
"Isn’t something missing?"

Jesus (to Thomas & Peter, as they enter the Garden):
You won’t cry for my absence, I know;
You forgot me long ago.


Jesus (to God & Himself):
Am I that unimportant?
Am I so insignificant?
Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?


Jesus (to sleeping disciples):
Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone.
Isn’t someone missing me?

Judas (as he kisses Jesus to identify him):
Please, please, forgive me

Judas (to God):
Lord, I offer up my sins
For the expiation.

Jesus:
I’ll redeem them with my blood

Jesus (to sleeping disciples):
Isn't something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?
Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone.
Isn’t someone missing me?


Jesus (to Judas and Roman guards):
And if I bleed, I’ll bleed
Knowing you don’t care
And though I'll die, for the sins of all of you
I’ll come back again.

Jesus (to sleeping disciples):
Isn't something missing?
Isn’t something...

Even though I’m the sacrifice
You won’t try for me, not now
‘Though I’d die to know you love me
I’m all alone.Isn’t something missing?
Isn’t someone missing me?

I'm not sure the meter and rhyme scheme are quite right; suggestions?

a. ;)

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