'No soldiers and no body' is a hymn based on Mark 16.8, which is believed to be the ending of the writings of Mark and the point at which the original document was torn and the ending was lost. The women have fled and the resurrection is still a rumour, but the truth is escaping and becoming known as reality.
Metre: 7 6 7 6 D
Extract:
No soldiers and no body,
an empty linen shroud
and women with a story
they dare not tell aloud.
So, put away the spices
intended for the dead
and wait with fear, as they did,
to see some way ahead.
And did the story end there,
the last words torn away?
No final resolution?
What happened on that day?
What changed the gloom to glory?
What cancelled out their loss?
How could there be a victory
beyond that bloody cross?
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