ENOUGH!
I serve only one master-
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me
He has sent me to the poor and the weak to tell them the good news
He has told me that it’s time to heal the broken hearted-
Shout freedom to all captives, and to break the chains of those you have bound
Now is the time of my fathers grace
And the destruction of your plans
And the stranger
Was gone
With a howl of disgust the stranger turned again and took the man to a high place overlooking a huge city. So began the third attack
Look you fool- all this could be yours! You cower in the desert and but look- the whole world is at my feet!
I can give you anything you could ever want; Money, power, servants, fame, influence- are these things not necessary to complete this mission of yours?
Why not do things in style?
Why grovel in the dust when you can live like a King?
All I ask is this- do it MY way. Listen to me….
With flashing eyes the stranger turned away and in a blink of an eye the two men stood high on the temple roof looking down into the courtyard. And then, the second attack…
I don’t think you are Him at all! Look at you- standing there all weak at the knees!
If you are precious to your father, you could throw yourself from this place and the angels would catch you and float you down to the stone floor below.
GO on- DO it!
SHOW ME!
I must… not….test my father….
Now is your time, and mine.
The two men walk into the sun. So begins the first attack
Son of God- what a fool you are to suffer such hunger! You have the power to snuff out the sun, yet you go hungry? Perhaps you are not so strong after all?
If you were, you could turn this stone into bread, and we could sit down to sandwiches for lunch…
We need so much more than bread.
I am the bread of life, and I come to feed souls…
Suddenly he was not alone. Striding across the desert comes a stranger
There is something friendly and familiar about this man- he is cool and clean, and his voice is like butter
But beneath this fine exterior there lurks something else.
.
It is old- older than mankind
.
Look in his eyes and you can see the very depths of darkness and destruction-
Epidemics rage there
In the corner of his gaze, savage animals rip and claw at one another
And with a glance, arrows fly, and cannons spew fire and flame
And in the pool of his vision, men and women objectify one another
And lust for power and wealth and sex
Forests burn and rivers flow toxic from his tears.
.
Now he has a new mission…
The night came unnoticed
But in his dreams the man heard a voice,
Now, my son- now is your time.
Your time
And mine
Empty now
Drained
Poured out to the point of death
Entombed within this weary body
Death is has come closer
And is welcome
The cave welcomed him and held him in its hollows.
It shrouded him from the weary walk
It became for him the whole world
For a while
I have been writing some things for an up and coming Aoradh Wilderness retreat. We are heading off to the McCormaig Islands at the head of Loch Sween in a few weeks- 12 of us this year, and so I have been preparing some resources.
Here is part of a set of dispatches…
You are wrapped up in me
And I am bound up in you
.
We are held together by soft binding
Like tender shoot and stake
Like gift and gift giver
Like mud and gentle rain
Like worn shoe and weary foot
Like hot tea and cracked pot
.
Like universe and all those flickering stars
Like ocean and rolling wave
Like field and each tender blade of grass
There is now
And there is our still-to-come
.
Coming
Now broken and exhausted, he looked for a place to rest
Hide me Father
Be my safe place
My mountain shelter
Be my safety in the heat of the day
this fragile tent 