Friday, February 20, 2015

Faith? Really? From the eyes of the weeping prostitute (Luke 7:36-50)



outcast…
that’s what i am.

no
respectable person
looks
me in the eyes.
in public.
sometimes not even in private.

i’d like
to say that i am okay
with being
alone.
but
i am not.

it’s
a kind of slow
death
pain stretched out for
no visible
reason.

it hurts.
deeply.
completely.

He was coming to town.
everyone
was talking about
Him.
not all good talk.

He’d healed a Gentile
a Roman servant…
is there
hope
for me in this?
perhaps?
maybe not…

another castoff
a widow
supposedly had her dead son
brought
back to life?!?

how
can that be true?

He’s here!
at Simon, the Pharisee’s
BIG house.

i’m going.
will
they let me in?
i don’t care.
i have
nothing.
to.
lose.

as I near
the doorway
i begin to weep.
my life crashes
down
into my deepest places.

is this YHWH’s Man?
i am nothing
to Him.
how could i be?

i cannot
stop my tears.
they’re washing the dirt
from His feet.
He looks
around and sees
me.
and
He smiles.

more tears.
so
many more.
i cannot stop.
i am a fool.
i do NOT care.

my hair
is down
i brush His
feet.
dry.

i break open
the alabaster jar
of perfume…
meant for His head.
it pours over
His feet
He
sees me.
with HIS OWN eyes.
someone…
someone finally
sees.
me.

people
are upset…
i’m used to that
but
someone seeing
me…
what do i do?

the Man
and Simon talk.
i cannot hear
them
over my sobbing.

it
doesn’t matter.
He.
sees.
me.

finally
He speaks words
to me.
“Your sins are forgiven!”

can
this be true?
how?

then…
“Your faith
has
made You whole.”
and…a gentle
“Shalom…”
“God’s Peace be on You!”

really?

faith? me?
no one
has ever accused me
of faith.

is faith
making a public fool
of myself?
i don't know.

this Man
is my only hope.
and
He sees me.

no
contempt.
only
love for a much loved
sister
comes
out of His eyes.

He.
sees.
me.

Friday, February 13, 2015

The problem with men…


The problem with men…
Is our fear…
Which leads to…
Us…
Having anger.
Being arrogant.
Acting at times like bastards.
And
Being unwilling to admit it.

Monday, February 9, 2015

alone no more - thoughts from the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11


alone.
interrupted.
hit and battered.
and cursed.
dragged
away with half my clothes.
to a public place.
a church.
a man
was teaching there.

interrupted
he looked at me.
i could not meet
his gaze.

publicly
accused I stood
guilty.
i looked no one
in the eyes.

angry
voices demanding
my
death.
shouting
for me to die.

he
bent over
scribbling in the
dirt.
ignoring us all.

i could not
tell
what he wrote.

the voices
grew louder.
angrier.
more insistent.
“stone her!”

still
he wrote intently.
not looking up.

then
he straightened
up.
they all quieted.
waiting.

 “first throw
goes
the sinless, the faultless
man!”

he bent over again.
writing.

i
was frightened.
waiting.
cringing.

i
looked up
seeing only him.

 “where are they
who shouted
out your guilt?”
he asked.
“is there no one
left
to damn you?”

i could barely
speak.
“none, Master.”

 “neither
do i condemn
you…
you can leave now
and…
don’t keep on doing
this.”

i
was free.
safe.

somehow
this man rescued
my heart
that day.

i’ll  follow Him.
anywhere.