Poet's Corner - L'chaim

L’chaim - To Life!

The wonderful thing about spring is that is invites us to take delight in the simplest of things: shoots of green grass, budding plants, chirping birds, bluer skies and glorious sunlight.

For some strange reason it evokes a childhood memory of singing loudly in assemblies - the hymn, ‘All things bright and beautiful’- a song of praise about everything God has created. But how often, I wonder, do we stop to consider that we, not the heavens or the plants or the animals are the masterpiece of God’s creation? In the midst of this spectacularly breathtaking universe, he has chosen to reflect his image and likeness in us mortals. In Psalm 8 David exclaims:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

This seems all the more miraculous when we reflect on the fact that God formed, fashioned and breathed life into us. Then again when we cut ourselves off from that life, that he himself restored it through Christ’s atonement so that our spirits could be born again! Yet he didn’t stop there, again he sent his Spirit to reside in us and we are now able to be continually filled with his Spirit! 

Sacrum Vitae

Blessed be your never-ending fount
that springs eternal.
The source of all life 
that breathes
and pours
and floods
thrice given and thrice received
from Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Yahweh, El Elyon, Almighty God
what have we done that you love us so
and grant with such bountiful liberty your very essence
again and 
again
and again,
so that this life you give
eclipses all we can imagine, 
or sense or see.
We, being only finite earthen vessels
found worthy of bearing your resplendent glory!
Divinity in perpetuity imprinted on
the souls of men
Wellspring of life
bubbling, 
gushing
flowing
source of everlasting regeneration.
Blessed be your never- ending fount
 that springs eternal.

Dear friends, the joyous truth is that we do not need to wait for the season of Spring every year for life anew to spring forth, for there is yet a well of life within that never runs dry!

Today’s Poet’s Corner was written by Timali Ebanks, and is arranged each month by our resident poet, Steve Page.

Spring and Covid-19

‘Oh to be in England, now that April’s there!’ so wished the famous poet… and I agree wholeheartedly!

Spring has always been my favourite season in the UK – things springing to life everywhere you look - it always reminds me of God’s gift of life to us – ‘once we were dead, but now we are alive!’ Hallelujah!

I sit at my window and gaze at the bushes opposite me, their new shoots are bright red, reminding me of the blood of Jesus which brings new life.  The cherry tree opposite my bedroom window – it has actually begun to flower and is almost full of pink blossom.  Oh God, my heart wants to cry out, You are such an amazing God. Your creation boasts of You! And it is but a pale reflection of Your beauty.

But although my heart is full of wonder at God’s creation, I cannot enjoy it as I have been doing, year after year.

This year it’s different!  I am not in it, among it!  I am not standing under the cherry blossom tree and looking up into the sky through its amazing brand-new flowers – in fact I cannot even touch it! 

Why? Because of COVID 19. 

My husband and I are in self-isolation. We gaze out in admiration, but cannot be part of it in the same way. And yet – I am grateful for this visible sign that there is new life in Christ, that God is still the same, He is on the throne and that ‘there is a season (time) for everything!’. Things may change and we can feel that we are on shifting sands, but at the same time, the trees bloom, the daffodils appear, the rose bushes begin to bud… God is on the throne of the universe and new life continues as before!

And then, of course, come the difficult moments, the temptation to forget all this, as we hear of the rising rate of deaths, in the UK and worldwide. Of friends and families of our friends who are fighting for their lives; as we watch the news; read the many messages on social media and listen to the videos of those who are experiencing the full horror of this disease. 

As we hear non-believing friends ask ‘where is your God in all of this?  Why does He allow this?’

And what can we say?  We don’t have the definite answers to these questions, only suggestions. 

But we have a choice – either to allow the enemy to bring us down and feel hopeless, helpless. Or to turn to the truth of God’s word that God is a good Father and He will never let go of us, especially in the tough times. We can consciously decide to focus on the manifestation of His glory before our very eyes! Yes, it is a tough road to have to travel, but we are on it, and God invites us to focus on Him and His beauty around us, rather than on the circumstances surrounding us!

Yes, I would prefer to stroll through the gardens outside, to see the children playing as they always do, to smell the new roses, admire the apple and cherry blossoms from close up. To feel the welcome warmth of the spring sunshine on my face.  But they are there, nevertheless, and the creation constantly points me to the Creator!  Reminding me that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever and that nothing catches Him by surprise!

Written by Adele Dabrowski