Monday 17 December 2007

Uncomfortable God

Following yesterday’s entry, I came across this prayer from the Iona Community.

The poor… the broken-hearted…
the prisoners… the mourners…
We can make it a reverent and irrelevant litany,
like counting cherry stones:
Tinker… tailor… soldier… sailor…
Rich man… poor man… beggar-man… thief…
what has this got to do with us God?
Sailors… children… merchants… pawnbrokers…
When will it come to us?
This year… next year… sometime… never…
Yet we remember that when Jesus read these words
he added ‘Today – here and now –
these words are coming true.’
Come true for us, uncomfortable God,
here and now!

1 comment:

His Girl Friday said...

I've been thinking how to respond, and haven't quite put all the thoughts into words. From your last post, the thought 'pay it forward, with a kindness' comes to mind; even the smallest gesture is better than the grandest thought.

as for this poem, how many countless generations have thought this...'when, Lord?!' Yet, we are still called to carry on. Sometimes I get caught up in the madness of 'making it', then I stop for a moment, and think, does what I'm doing really matter?! I'm sure there's a balance to it all...or does God want us that comfortable?!
:)