you create me
shape me
with divine image sparked dust
you make me
name me
aim us
in community
you ask only that we obey thee
and become
tender
earth steward
friend be
in work
at play
and walk with you
in the cool of the day.
.
but...
after we eat our fill
find that we are hungry
still
you search for me
body, mind, spirit you locate me
bring eternal consequence
to bear on me
make first step sacrifice to
clothe and forgive me
then
creator gardener
watch over me.
.
later…
you call me
give shooting star
child-like promise
to me
to bless me
and all earth through me
to hand me
land me
see me
create with thee
god’s global garden family.
.
but after 40 dizzy circles of wander lust
we lost trust in a
sand stranded maze
and in self desertificated haze
we continued with closed eyes and ears
to your voice and your seers
forgot your garden
claimed our fears
silence for years.
.
and later…
much later
the gardener’s apprentice
plants sound new kingdom seeds around
relates to me
brings reverse hate from me
reaps fruits of peace, joy, faith in me
heaven earth
rooted
reality
bitter roots pruned from me
from our emergent community
and calls garden labourers:
apprentices of love
to forgive, reconcile, restore
and so much much more…
.
and the devil saw
interfered as before
tried again to take, confiscate and break
but second step sacrifice stepped in
the gardener’s apprentice
becoming sin
committed to create
a death dead end death
check mate
and in dying breath
salvation make
earth heaven heaven earth
twice quake
and rests in store
for resurrection hope and more...
.
and soon…
the gardener and apprentice
delight
in joint sending spirit sent as
in-filling light
and you reach me
still me
you father, son and spirit me
you teach me
and till me
de-24/7 mill me
gently within me
psalm 24/1 you fill me
day after day
.
and later
much much later
say
.
come live lightly with me
walk brightly with me
talk with me
walk with me
us in community
god’s global garden family
in the cool of a new day!
.
martin thomas
june 2008
I wrote this poem thinking about my work with A Rocha (a Christian conservation charity working in partnership with CMS). We often don't realise it but the way we share our faith is very much governed by our understanding of the 'big picture' of God's relationship with creation; past, present and especially the future. A closer look at the greek of the New Testament shows us that the 'new earth' the Bible speaks of is more akin to a renewed, recycled earth; nothing is ever wasted in God's economy. As I wrote, the poem naturally fell into the five themed sections; create, fall, land, redeem, renew. It is of course part historical, but you will notice that it places and personalises the reader into each section. It is about our own personal stories being interwoven into God's Big Story of redemptive and renewing love.
Each poem can also be downloaded in a simple format (.pdf) as well as on designed postcards (.jpg). Please use the above 'downloads' link...
Comments