Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Anointing: A Poem

{from Luke 7:36-50}

                        Broken, Rabboni?
The brightness of this alabaster dream
Shattered into fragments at Your feet?
What preciousness deserves so great a price?
This is My body, crushed to give for you.

                        Emptied, too?
Not one sweet drop remaining for myself?
Bereft of fragrance brightening my days?
What gain can justify such costly waste?
This is My blood, poured out for your forgiveness.

                        Broken, emptied.
Shattered into fragments at His feet.
Not one drop spared, the fragrance fills the house.
The poverty of all my all is dust
Beneath Your feet, O worthy, precious Lord.
Your sins have been forgiven; go in peace.


6 comments:

  1. Truly beautiful, in a heart breaking and heart building way.

    Reminds me of a poem from the book A Severe Mercy:

    If everything is lost, thanks be to God
    If I must see it go, watch it go,
    Watch it fade away, die
    Thanks be to God that He is all I have.
    And if I have Him not, I have nothing at all.
    Nothing at all, only a farewell to the wind
    Farewell to the grey sky
    Goodbye, God be with you, evening October sky.
    If all is lost, thanks be to God,
    For He is He, and I, I am only I.

    I've loved that poem for years. I now love yours just as well!

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  2. @Amy That's a lovely, melancholy poem, just like the book as a whole. Thank you for sharing it and for daring to love this one.

    Grace. Thanks be to God. . .

    God bless you, friend.

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  3. And so it’s Sunday and I know you posted this on Wednesday. But I culdn’t stop reading the thank you’s from Monday. But I’m here now and I’m reminded why I like reading you :)

    So beautiful. We are all broken jars, all sitting at his feet, all of us undeserving, all of us in need of forgiveness. But not all of us lay ourselves at his feet, and ask. This woman did. Your poem tells the story behind the story.

    God Bless and Keep you and all of yours

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  4. @Craig Thank you once again, Craig, for your thoughtful and generous comments. I'm thankful you are finding nourishment here.

    God bless and keep you and yours, also.

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  5. Breathtaking, Tinuviel. I love the way you connect the broken jar and this woman-- to our lives-- and to Jesus (broken bread, poured out wine). I love it. I am reminded of a song I heard some months ago, about the alabaster jar. I'll have to search for it. Thank you for pointing me to this. I'm so blessed to have been led here to read.

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  6. @pathoftreasure Thank you, pathoftreasure. I like that connection, too. It feels all right to say so, because this poem feels like a gift and not something I made.

    Madeleine L'Engle wrote (in Walking on Water, maybe?) something to the effect that her writing knows more than she does. That describes this piece for me.

    Thanking God with you that it was the right read at the right time.

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Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.