Ransom your people

I
“Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined, for unto us a child is born, a son is given.”
We are in darkness here, oh God
miserable being here this Christmas.
Want to be home at this time.
We are not home. Yet…. we are not alone.

May we be the light that shined on:
.     mates on the Wings – encouragement
.          wife on the phone – a truly listening ear
.               kids in the Visitors Centre – sweet words.
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
and ransom your captive people

Our poor sight, weak hearing – a prayer

Lord, we all have serious health problems

Our eyesight is poor
Silver and gold seem the brightest colours,
Followed by the green of greed, and
The blues of thwarted desires.

Our hearing is poor too
We can’t hear the cries of the weak,
Nor your warnings of judgement.

Words needed for a 21st C Christmas

How do we express God’s special expedition that is Christmas for a new generation? Something that captures the less-is-more to the point of complete self offering.  In a way that makes sense to the 21^st century. Often we trot out the familiar words that are closer to James Stewart (“It’s a Wonderful Life”) or Charles Dickens (“A Christmas carol”), than the original vision.

This poem (below), used in Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols”, expresses the bizarre ironies of God-coming-in-might as a baby, in terms of a renaissance army with all it’s force. The poet made the contrasts so vivid, striking. Read on:

Poem: New Heaven, New War

This little babe, so few days old,
Is come to rifle Satan’s fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake.

Four Men and Three Futures

Staring at the death of Life
the end of all I’d hoped for,
has the Light gone for evermore?

When the evidence lies at my feet
that it isn’t going to happen. Do I bleat
“huh, it didn’t really matter after all.”

Not Waiting For The Garbage Collectors

“Peace in our time” –certainly wasn’t
“The pound in your pocket” –suddenly was only 86p
“Every child a wanted child” – is still not true
“Homes fit for heroes” – weren’t
“Work-life balance” – remains unbalanced
“I do” – becomes “for now”
“Low fat” – ha ha, means more sugar instead.