2021-01-25

After Penguin - Blooms

 

God's long game with us here depends on love.

Which is the undergirding and the aim.

This only way persisting from above

the heart of power with people - and a game.


A deadly earnest game, with carefree fun,

and simple trust that's given wings to fly.

That lets go of the reigns as "Number One", 

and plays the second fiddle, or will try.


A game of keeping "my desires" at bay,

and never letting them get off their leash,

until my coach and trainer has the say,

and cuts the chain - when I've learned how to teach,


and have the cunning and the strength to catch 

them, and have them to heal, to serve the good

of all the fam'ly in the world, to match

the outcome of love's will. What matters should.


You cared about a woman's growing life.

You cared that her own fam'ly grew up too.

You sent a servant in their time of strife

to help ignite that love, that comes from you.


A series of "mistakes" of diff'rent kinds

made open doors in dungeons where they'd rot,

then opened skies to love, and opened minds;

and people walked right through what they could not.


This God whose avatars and servants are

some flames of fire or wind, ravens or doves, ...

is motivated by love's shining star.

And loves to grow us, though he rarely "shoves".



Beautiful creative images which helped spawn these thoughts in me:


  • The story of  "Penguin Bloom" - from the book, which I read a few years ago, & from the movie (which we saw last night).

  • Genesis 1, the spirit of the creator god brooding, hovering (like a mother bird over her nest of eggs) over the waters

  • The raven Noah let out of the Ark, & the dove Noah let out of the Ark that came back with a an olive twig/leaf.

  • The ravens that fed the prophet Elijah in a desert hideaway in a drought when the king was trying to kill him.

  • The spirit that came down from the shizm between heaven and earth which settled and rested on Yeshua "like a dove".

  • The wisdom of King Solomon when first inherited from his invisible (at the time) giver - in deciding the case between two prostitutes about a dead baby, that depended on the existence of, and seeking out and bolstering, love within humanity.

  • God (sending his angel and) freeing folk from prisons (Joseph, Daniel, the group of apostles (Acts 5:17-42), Peter on his own (Acts 12:1-17)

  • That poemish thingo written/quoted by Paul in his letter to a fledgling community of First Century  Jesus followers in the thriving city of Corinth, preficed with something like these words: "..& now i will show you the Most Excellent Way..." (referenced in the bible as First Corinthians chapter 13, or 1Cor.13:1-13)



2021-01-20

When the ground of being moves under our feet..



Oh Daddy I am like a little child -

so ig-nor-ant of all that's going on.

The world I lived in didn't  seem so wild,

more beautiful and wondrous. That seems gone.


The ground is shifting underneath my feet.

The friendships and relationships that were

so simple, and so solid state, complete,

came back from the mechanics - a new world:


apparently a shell of nothingness

that somehow makes this world that we live in,

to simulate reality, and bliss.

If love does not gain entrance, I give in.


It seems a cruel joke - that no one gets.

Except the babes & children who accept

the love that's showered on them (and our pets)

It's just that children can again reflect


it back, and learn to mimick us at first,

but soon some learn to have that attitude

or stance in life that trusts that love won't burst

like bubbles do, and ev'ry living dude,


and worlds that we create within our heads -

our spacial worlds, relationships as well.

The love that still persists when we are dead

can blow another bubble world to dwell


in with the babes and children who would trust

that kindness and that love which gave us life.

Who'll let their parents teach them, as they must

in order to learn love, within the strife.




So Saul died for his unfaithfulness; he was unfaithful to the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord,... and did not seek guidance from the Lord . Therefore the Lord slew him, ....

 1 Chronicles 10:13‭-‬14 RSV


He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

Matthew 18:2‭-‬5 NIVUK


You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:4‭-‬6 NIVUK


...If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…

1 Corinthians 13:2‭, ‬6‭-‬7 NIV