Oh you who gave me life, and gives me breath,
and food and drink so far, & fun with friends,
who spoke into the void before a death
had yet occurred, and still can make amends.
Oh you who've multiplied this many times,
in worlds like ours, in every human head
where neurons make connections. Who reclines
at feast of fruit of tree of life. Who'll shed
your outer garments (glory that reveals -
translating light from other spectrums to
these eyes with limitations - and who heals
our sight itself), and gives all sense of who
we are, this far, & can become, on top
of all of this - by copying our Dad,
as we see you shed outer clothes & stop,
converse where needed, to lead past our sad
& tawdry lives, into your glor'yus gift,
as spouse would give their self and all their hopes
& dreams, to let them go, and fall, & lift
our eyes to higher ways that "more than cope".
Sometimes, most times, it seems like skins do form,
(which might be just the nature of the stuff
as paint is made to make a skin, the norm
for stuff that covers over, well enough)
But when a skin would stop the easy flow,
and run of things, and application to
the stuff of life that we would seek to know
and join with fully, like you seem to do
espesh'ly with your children whom you love.
As Esau learned to do, and welcomed back
rejected brother (chosen from above,
before their birth). And you took up the slack,
and taught them loyal love, and true friendship.
Taught Israel* how to lead, by giving out1,
and honouring, not just "giving the slip"2.
Taught murd'rous angry man to laugh & shout
his welcome, have bro. back, and move aside3;
to be the second (in your scheme of things),
is really not a problem. I'll abide
where you help me to see & be like kings4
who rule in peace, and righteousness, and serve.
And gratefully enjoy your gifts, your gift
a goodly spirit, right, which thrives, with nerve.
So I, like good responders before, lift
my eyes to heaven, as I rule this part
of earth, the dust embodied here in me,
and then continue on, once there's a start
you finish off the things you've brought to be^!
Footnotes
^ "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." (Luke 14:27-33 NRSVUE);
"..Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” "(John 4:34-38 NRSVUE);
"For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. And in this matter I am giving my opinion: it is beneficial for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something. Now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. For I do not mean that there should be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality between your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.” (2 Corinthians 8:9-15 NRSVUE);
"..always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, for all of you are my partners in God’s grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the tender affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what really matters, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:4-11 NRSVUE)
"Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?" (Galatians 3:3 NRSVUE)
* After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.’ So he named him Israel. And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.’ Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel. Genesis 35:9-15 NIVUK
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him; when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called that place Mahanaim. … Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.” Genesis 32:1-2, 24-30 NRSVUE & another recording: "God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and settle there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your clothes; then come, let us go up to Bethel, that I may make an altar there to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and the rings that were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak that was near Shechem. As they journeyed, a terror from God fell upon the cities all around them, so that no one pursued them. Jacob came to Luz, that is, Bethel, which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because it was there that God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother." … another mention is: "God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him. God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he was called Israel. God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel." Genesis 35:1-7, 9-15 NRSVUE
Esau (Gen 27; 32-33; 35-36), Saul/ Paul (Acts 7:54-8:3 & 9:1-30; 11:15- 25:27; 26:1- end of book)
Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-24; Psalm 110; Hebrews 5-7) & Yeshua (Matthew, Mark, John, Luke & Acts - see Bible Gateway.
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