This week two brief sentences and one poem grabbed my attention that I’d like to share with you.
First: Daniel Chidiac‘s brief yet stinging sentence left an impression on me:
Disrespect can permanently shut doors that apologies cannot reopen. Consider this carefully.
Chidiac’s observation brought the words from Proverbs 18:19 to mind:
A brother offended is more unyielding than a strong city.
True, Christ taught us to extend forgiveness and seek reconciliation. But both Chidiac and Proverbs are simply offering brief, pungent remarks to get us thinking. Words and actions have consequences.
Two: Eugene Peterson’s concise sentence moved me to prayer. While expounding what Christian maturity looks like, Peterson wrote:
Maturity is life developed inwardly, knowing that the significant acts are our responses.
One of the reasons we need to prayerfully cultivate a “calm and quiet heart” (Ps. 131) is so that we can replace instinctual reactions with loving and wise responses.
Three: This poem/reflection from K. J. Ramsey is quite beautiful.
We can so easily become
that which harmed us.
We pour thick concrete
around the softness of our souls
to protect ourselves
from more pain.
Poetry can penetrate
our layers of self-protection.
Beauty can call us
into resurrection.
Like words on the edge
of a cliff into death,
Goodness and Love can pull
us back from the ledge.
A forest can speak hope
in the scent of pine.
A wave can roll grace
to mist our parched pain.
A peony can bloom faith
with ballet skirts
of intricate praise.
Goodness and Love
always do seek
us in the layers,
lodged under hard sheets
of concrete, too thick
to breathe, too precious
to leave. They chase us
all our days and crack
open our shields,
calling us back
home to the beauty of being healed.
The emboldened and italicized words ring true for me and express why I love poetry. While I love beautiful prose, poetry (and stories!) have a way of breaking through our defenses—the walls we put up to protect ourselves from hurt, disappointment, and betrayal.
Something to ponder.
That’s all for this week.
Recent Comments