24.12.09

do not offer your smaller god


Smaller god

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild
Who is this one, who is this child?
I do not know him, he did not come
In muck and mess
In rend of womb

Little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes
but the one I know, he weeps and wakes
He walks the world, and knows the real
He risks it all
To touch, to feel

Good man Jesus, guru and teacher
Yes, and yes, but not simply a creature
The one who knows me, holds the universe
Thought it, spoke it
Showed up in it...

No far away god
No disinterested maker
No grand chessmaster
Who leaves us 'for later'

Please don't show up at my door
And offer me less
Than the one who creates me
Then steps into the mess
Don't offer me a man who was exceptionally good
Or a god in the sky in a benevolent mood

Don't offer me less than the one who is one
With the stuff of my life
When all's 'said and done'
Who knows what it is to feel fury and grief
And love, pain, and anger
And joy, and peace

4 comments:

Curate Karen said...

Awesome poem, Jody.

Jody Stowell said...

thanks karen, hope your christmas was restful, or at least refreshing (?!), are you on a break now?

Curate Karen said...

Advent and Christmas were busy, as this was my first as an ordained person, but from boxing day up to now has been restful and refreshing. Went on a lovely walk in North Wales yesterday, which helped immensely. My break is pretty much over now, but unless I have to take any funerals over the coming week, the workload isn't too bad. Just need to visit a few parishioners and tidy my study and prepare for upcoming services. The new year is bringing lots of exciting new challenges as we start several new discipleship training endeavours - - woohoo!!!

Graham Richards said...

Brilliant poem Jody. I've cringed every time we sang "Away in a Manger" this Christmas. Especially as it's giving children a totally wrong impression of the Christ child.