What do you see? He is invisible Yet all creation knows Him. Listen: The birds slow their flight for Him; leaves glisten In all His coloured light. Impossible Strains of symmetry glide through chaos: simple In their dignity, yet rich in vision. Catch the smallest glimpse, the grandest impression: He is more – glorious, indivisible.Continue reading “20 Contemplations #1: Colours of the Father”
Category Archives: Advent
Damascus Road Prayers: Advent 1
He rose up like a shoot before Him, a shoot from the parched earth; something spoken secretly occurred openly today. (St Ephraim the Syrian, Nativity Hymns 1) TV screens bear children’s prayers to a jolly man in red. My wish list is as full as my cupboard; my spirit is silent today. From department storeContinue reading “Damascus Road Prayers: Advent 1”
Christmas Candle: Christmas is Light
The day comes and goes: families meet; food’s eaten; As tradition has it, rain comes at night. What then? Police patrol the festive season; Roads are blocked in case the Christmas sprite Has rendered some of us unsafe to drive. So wait. The moment passes, and too soon The chance will leave as quick asContinue reading “Christmas Candle: Christmas is Light”
Too Much Light 6: Prepare Your Crowns
Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord: the light is blinding and the days are long; the sun confuses us, the bustle deafens. Lord: let us walk. Let’s leave our cars, our homes, our days and walk. The Son has stories brighter than noon, pavilions for theContinue reading “Too Much Light 6: Prepare Your Crowns”
Fourth Candle: Advent is Trusting
See clockwise how the candle-steps arise, New wick ablaze as old wicks stand beside. Some rise in hope with freshness in their eyes, Some simply stand; His Nonetheless abides In hearts that quicken, hearts of smouldering wick. Though Zion is not tall, though nations scoff, The small, the humble, now are tall. Come quick! TheContinue reading “Fourth Candle: Advent is Trusting”
Too Much Light 5: Prepare Your Knees
The climb – up hills, up bridges, up avenues – may smart on feeble knees, yet walk. This is not a path for driving. There are no lanes free and your mind will not process the path from inside a car. Static and traffic-bound, you will not see the guiding star and will notContinue reading “Too Much Light 5: Prepare Your Knees”
Third Candle: Advent is Rising
Rejoice. The third candle, pink and fresh with life, Alights and sparkles while the hope grows long. Rejoice: Advent is rising; though the strife Of ways unprepared may hurt our knees, the strong Will hold the weak and walk. Advent is stretching The stiff joints of silence. Advent is latent Yet stirring with noise; AdventContinue reading “Third Candle: Advent is Rising”
Second Candle: Advent is Slowing
One candle grows short, a second descends, And three others wait for the rising of light. Wicks burn down and dwindle, yet hope still appends The longing of prayers in the slow Advent night. In the day, though the shouting of sun may shut out The lamenting of captives, yet watch in the night, ForContinue reading “Second Candle: Advent is Slowing”
Too Much Light 4: Prepare Your Feet
No room, and yet there is room: in shoulders, between lanes, by roadsides, in industrial paddocks. No room, perhaps, for cars, yet feet have space to move, if you, traffic-sore, should rise and step into the space where lavender shifts in wind, gnarled tree trunks climb to upward possibility.Continue reading “Too Much Light 4: Prepare Your Feet”
Too Much Light 3: Prepare your ears
Slow down. Road, rain, traffic slow you down but you are fast. Your heart pounds to silence the road, and buds turned inward block out growth. What speaks is asphalt and the music in your ears, the hum of engines idling, the unexpected pause. Yet sky is telling another story: look, the clouds gather roundContinue reading “Too Much Light 3: Prepare your ears”
The Consolations of Writing 