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Emptied

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Or consider that mason jar
Empty, unsealed, vacant
Filled with nothing

 Now consider
That space between the Cherubim
That void over which the Spirit ponders
The silence of Job's companions
That depth into which the Angels long to look
That still, small Voice whispering to the weary prophet
That he (only faintly, finally) hears

 The rejected and forsaken
Cornerstone
is in our midst
rebuilt as the curtainless temple
Tabernacling among us

 Not as one in the room
But the room itself
Not as a wise teacher
But the lesson itself
Not as a life-long companion
But life itself
Not as the largest stone
Stuffed into that mason jar
Covered in sand and metaphorical
misunderstanding

 God is among us
Emptied for us
Making peace with us
Filling us
With a fire we dare not touch
A restlessness we cannot settle
And a longing we feel
and fear

 Distant, yet demanding all our attention
Like the absent mother bird

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Comments

  1. MangoNovember 11, 2019 at 12:44 PM

    “Tabernacling among us.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JacarandaNovember 13, 2019 at 1:18 PM

      Thinking of John 1:14, where the Greek word ἐσκήνωσεν, translated as "dwelt", denotes so much more than just taking up residence. The author takes that Greek word for "tabernacle" and uses it like a verb. It is the only time that specific kind of use appears in the entire New Testament.

      Understanding all of that, John 1:14 could be translated as "And the Word became flesh and [tabernacled] among us, and we beheld His glory, a glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." When Jesus incarnated, he tabernacled the glory of God among us. Pretty incredible.

      Delete
    2. MangoNovember 13, 2019 at 9:01 PM

      Wow -- that's beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

      Delete

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