A POEM FOR THE SEASON
love









A few years ago, during Lent, I heard a sermon that wed Numbers 21 and John 3. I remember the ideas being that God redeems everything, even the most hateful, despicable, evil things. Perfect Love undoes death and disease, abuse and abandonment, poverty of body and soul.

In the Numbers passage, God commands Moses to create a bronze serpent and put it on a pole and display it in a public place. Thereafter if a real snake bit anyone, injecting its deadly venom; and the victim later looked at the bronze serpent, their life was spared.

God could've picked a daisy, a cross, or a dove to be bronzed and stuck on that pole. Instead, it was a snake: the very thing that wounded and killed. I don't particularly like snakes. But, in God's paradoxical parameters even slimy, slithering, striking snakes saves lives.

At the time I heard this sermon, I was also reading one of my favorite books, Madeleine L'Engle's GENESIS TRILOGY. Those of you who read Madeleine know that one of the through-lines in her writing is that God will not fail creation. God will redeem, restore, refresh by Love. And, all that He said was good will be . . . is . . . good.

During this season of waiting and self-examination, what is God redeeming/healing in your life by Love? And what's being bronzed and put on a salvific pole for you?

Lent

In the beginning, Word spoken
Begets moons, stars, planet earth, sun
Universe perfect, now broken

By evil snake, bringer of death
Bending truth in his native tongue
Fouling lovely and stealing breath

Moving among us on the earth
Twisting, revealing, destroying good
Healer provoked to redeem birth

A curse to women is proclaimed
Pain in labor to bring forth kin
Secretly a gift is sustained

Eden’s garden lush and fruitful
God’s breath giving new breath: a gift
Of all things green and beautiful

The curse is turned inside out and
It is good – It is ALL so good
Remains and God won’t fail this land

Even the snake high is lifted
Healing cast in bronze by Moses
Icon of the Love that’s gifted

Breath in circles and cross is lent
Twisting, turning, reeling, sealing
Grace reigns down healing deepest rent
love