Love’s Choice

This bread is light, dissolving, almost air,
A little visitation on my tongue,
A wafer-thin sensation, hardly there.
This taste of wine is brief in flavour, flung
A moment to the palate’s roof and fled,
Even its aftertaste a memory.
Yet this is how He comes. Through wine and bread
Love chooses to be emptied into me.
He does not come in unimagined light
Too bright to be denied, too absolute
For consciousness, too strong for sight,
Leaving the seer blind, the poet mute,
Chooses instead to seep into each sense,
To dye himself into experience.

*** Malcolm Guite

The Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds

Meditation on the painting in the Sugar Land FUMC chapel

(first painting)

Who’s that lurking

around the Christmas stage set?

The crosses of Death

meeting their Executioner.

Paintings by John Passaro

　

Where's the love we once knew?

(Revelation 4:9-11)

The God of love sat at His table

with coffee and a bagel.

He started a meditation

on His favorite creation.

Oh man,

Why can’t you follow the plan?

Instead of the Song of Solomon

a booty call.

Instead of My will be done

Everyone’s at the shopping mall.

Instead of the cross being My signature

it’s jewelry.

Instead of the Kingdom being the purpose singular

You invent a culture of fantasy.

Instead of forgiving those in our debt,

You demand your pound of flesh.

Instead of being living water wet

Your idol is Jesus Cash.

The God of love got up from His table

Left the bagel and gulped His coffee cold.

Walked over to a table of angels,

And asked, “Wanna go bowl?”

This is the worst trip I've ever been on

(Numbers 21:4-9)

Numbers 21:4-9

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea,[

c] to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.

John 3:14-15

[Jesus said: ]“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

By Numbers 21

Yahweh was undone.

“I AM NOT A CHEF!

I AM DEAF

TO THEIR CRIES

FOR BURGERS AND FRIES!”

THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER

AND RICH IN LOVE

BUT IF YOU DECLARE HIS CUISINE MUNDANE

THERE WILL BE SNAKES ON THE PLAIN!

THIS CAUSED THE GRIPING TO CEASE

“MOSES, WE NEED SOME PEACE !

GO THE DIVINE ONE

AND

ASK FOR MERCY OR ELSE WE’RE DONE!”

Moses asked

and God gave him the task

of fashioning a crucifix

of a bronze snake attached to the sticks.

God advised:

“Those who are struck with venom

and look at this creation

Will escape death’s condemnation.

And by the way - You’re welcome.”