Fuller Theological Seminary: Mav

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February 16, 2009

On my relationship with God

"Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself." -- Madeline L'Engle

*****

Here I am
standing on this
cliff by the sea

This is where I return
where I always want to be

I envy the wind
and its freedom
to soar
to be still
to whip into fury

I envy the sea
and its power
to swell
to be still
to surge into fury

I envy this cliff
and its strength
to stand
to be still
to endure the fury

I come here now
and I call out to You
I demand an accounting
so bring on Your storm
I’ve withstood worse

On through the driving deluge
I will stand
While tears and rain pour mingled down

On through the trembling thunder
I will stand
While shouts and claps contend

On through the whistling wind
I will stand
While sobs and gusts howl their lament

On through the surging sea
I will stand
While ache and waves pummel their shores

On I will stand
and back I will return
for You have left me unsatisfied

the clouds may have parted
the rains may have dwindled
the sea may have subsided
but this grief--
this chronic ache in the bones of my soul--
still, it persists
and still, You are silent

*****

And though my questions remain unanswered,
when storm retreats and sun returns
still I search for rainbows
for you have made me with a relentless hoping heart
and when I seek
and find
that bow stretched across sky
I am reminded that you Are
that you have made promises
and those promises you will keep
And so my storm is stilled
the waters of my heart made like glass
And there is peace here in this moment

February 4, 2009

Thoughts from the deep of the night

"In numbing our agony, art is lost; out of our pain, comes poetry."

I woke up at some point in the night, or early morning, with this rather profound thought weighing on my mind. I've been pondering on it all day.

I have quite a few things to say about this thought but they're not quite organized. So I think for now, I'll just let this hang in the air, kind of like an unresolved chord. That will give you some time to ponder this thought for yourselves!

*****

(16, February 2009)

Well, I have returned to this quote and I have decided it was not quite accurate in its original form so I have amended it and am now more satisfied:

"In numbing ourselves, art is lost; out of our pleasure and our pain comes poetry."

Truly, when all sensation is lost so too is art lost and it is out of BOTH the agony and the ecstasy of life that poetry is inspired.