WORLD and Word (in our experience)

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GOD gives his WORLD, where ACTS can then be done,

before he gives his WORD through his own son*.

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Within this place of yours, yes your own world,

I can be learning from you here becuz

your spirit broods above it, softly curled,

while watching, overseeing as one does

who, not apparent, yet a parent is

full of creative love to-wards offspring,

enabling them to learn to do core biz-

ness: look & listen, walk & talk, & sing,

& learn what love & loyalty look like,

& best of all, to then participate.

For in the doing of the job small tykes

can learn more than who listens, and just waits..

But best of all is one who'll listen then

with all that’s in their pow-er, have a go

at doing what they think they should, again,

while dialoguing all the while. They’ll know,

and too relate, the best of all, because

the meaning of the message, which is key,

’nd can be deeper than what any clause

could ever hope to carry in between

two parties, if they are not bots, or kids.

For humans can learn much, & each Dad-joke

espesh’ly, can add more than data bids

to ever add to life, to help folk cope.

It turns out in reality, God’s world

(and people made in his image) are first

to teach us any language, so I’m bold

to claim it as essential, not the worst.

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Footnotes

*  25Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one will snatch them out of my hand. …

32but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ …

34 Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, “I have said you are ‘gods’ ”? 35 If he called them “gods”, to whom the word of God came – and Scripture cannot be set aside – 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, “I am God’s Son”? 37Do not believe me (-the words I say) unless I do the works of my Father. 38But if I do them (the works of my Father), even though you do not believe me (-the words I say), believe the works (that I do from my Father), that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.’ ‭John 10:25-28, 32, 34-38 NIVUK‬ (what is in round brackets above is added by me, as commentary) ..

Bibliography

“1When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was ill and about to die. 3The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, ‘This man deserves to have you do this, 5because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.’ 6So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: ‘Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, “Go”, and he goes; and that one, “Come”, and he comes. I say to my servant, “Do this”, and he does it.’ 9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, ‘I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.’ 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.” (‭Luke 7:1-10 NIVUK‬)

Comment: Jesus isn't often amazed at people. John says (end of John ch 2) that when they saw his miracles, many believed in him, but he from his side did not entrust himself to them. He knew what was in humanity... Then it tells of his speaking privately to a "top ranking human" (ch 3); & a "bottom of the pile human" (ch 4). The first one should get his teaching, but doesn't, the second one shouldn't but does. John doesn't say that Jesus was amazed, but he does tell what (to anyone reading in the first Century), must have seemed amazing, and Jesus almost uses the master Teacher's wording of amazement with the first, and the Master Teacher's skillful winding up, wooing in, and commensureate opening up, and letting out of his purposely secret core message, with the second person The two times I recall that it does note that Jesus was amazed, it was about their lack of faith in him (in Nazareth, e.g. Mark 6), or their great faith in him (the Roman official e.g. Luke 7:1-10). This man, the Roman official has come to appreciate the word of God, through his interactions in the world of God, in the Roman Millitary, an aspect of God's world probably consider by most Jews of that time as furthest from the will of God.

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