1-1-XIX

1-1-XIX

Greetings, long-waited XIX.

Been looking forward to you for

some time--now you've

arrived. here. 

how are you

different?

than yesterday, yesteryear.

I would ask a boon of you:

a letter from me

dated 31 Dec XIX.

Not a cheat sheet

not instructions or predictions;

but some steelstrong advice--

mistakes to avoid

blindsides to sidestep

trust not to make

which battles to battle

entanglements to untie

knowing what those things

that I cannot change

are . . .

yes

all this I'd dearly love to know.

then perhaps

arriving at the end

with smiling eyes

I'd feel a "not bad"

in my gut--

would it make a difference?

Christmas, day 12 and Epiphany

Our final in this series of meditations on Elijah. This is Elijah's only appearance in the New Testament. We are never told the subject matter of the conversation--it clearly was not for our information or the disciples. It was Jesus' appointment. But the transfiguration was for the disciples. 

It brings me to think: why were these two specific people chosen, of all the saints in the Old Testament? What set them apart?  It was not the miraculous. It seems to be their thirst for the Presence and revelation of God. Lord, increase my thirst.

Christmas, day 12 and Epiphany.  Moses and Elijah

Mark 9: And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

dusty people

are we all

intricate formation

complex organisation

beyond imagination

chemicals and 

minerals, we

four bucks fifty:

for value thrifty

that’s pretty nifty

fragile earth

is not prepared

to fathom the gory,

truth-laden story

of the brunt of glory

to speak Life

into death:

who would God choose

to bring heaven’s news

to the One He would bruise?

Not the one called to leave it all

and sacrifice his son—

or that promise-out-of-time born son—

or the one who saved from famine—

or the one who defeated the giant—

or the one who lived in a fish—

or the one who slept with lions—

or the ones who walked in fire—

only two would God choose:

the one who saw the back of God

and the one who heard Him whisper

Christmas, day 11. Elijah and John

Just before the final day of Christmas, we are reminded of the type of people God uses to get the attention of wanderers: They are not highly polished motivational speakers. Not charismatic and smooth-talking. Every publicists nightmare. God uses solitary nomad-types without a shred of personal ambition so when they speak, they are not dazzled or distracted by the messengers. No need for John and Elijah to preface their message with "fear not." They don't inspire fear.

But when we look at them, truly seeing the men they choose to be, the path they choose to walk, we can only follow the Light in their lives right back up to the Father of Lights. Then we listen to unpolished, simple, servant men. And know that God is God.

Christmas, day 11. Elijah and John

Is 40: 3 A voice of one calling: “In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.”

desert wind howling through vowels

of two sand-encrusted voices

desiccated by the sun

frosted by the moon

in a light-shattered dusk

two dusty voices

rasped hoarse

by months without speech

on a riverback

where multitudes strain to hear:

“are you Elijah?”

“Of course not. I’m John.”

“but Malachi said—“

“Isaiah promised—“

a voice, wild and lone

 two voices, centuries apart

mingled as one

in the barren wilds

turn back

make straight:

the hearts of stone must break

to feed on broken bread

Christmas, day 10. The Holy Tension

Christmas, day 10. The Holy Tension

Luke 1:17 And he will go on before the Lord in the Spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Again a ragged desert sentry

appears on the horizon

after the last word in the last book:

curse

“or else I will come and strike the land

with a curse”

thank you, Malachi, 

for that benediction.

a curse or what?

another Elijah

who lives in holy tension

between silence and the Word

between rock and crumbling sand

between drought and pastures green

between brook and desert strand

we, too, live in the tension

unaware

far as the curse is found

and the promised voice

in the desert

in the wild places

calls: prepare

shouts: get ready

urges: He’s on the Move!

Christmas, day 9. The Day of the Lord (part 2)

Christmas, day 9. The Day of the Lord (part 2, meditations on Malachi)

Malachi 4:5-6 See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.

where no Light is

hearts cannot see—

we hurt ourselves

stumbling blindly to assuage pain—

crashing oblivion to forget loss—

climbing without oxygen to gain advantage—

burrowing to escape abuse—

not made to navigate:

no steering wheels,

no rudders,

no bits and reins,

no yokes—

but are too easily turned:

manipulation, deception,

oppression, shame,

guilt, threat,

fear, pain

turning hearts aright—

a Titanic task,

a job for an Elijah:

like fire from heaven

like rain in a drought

like raising the dead:

to turn hearts

to The true longing

for which they were made:

fathers to children

children to fathers

the prophet will come

with Light

and hearts may see