I recall that the One to whom we cry is no longer an infant, and this feels both wonderful and terrifying.
We begin to see him as he now is in dreams and poetry, for only metaphor can give us a glimpse of the truth: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire … his voice was like the sound of rushing waters” (Revelation 1:14,15).
Here, on this second Monday of Advent, is a poem from Madeleine L’Engle. She who dared to imagine and yet still dared to pray.
Come, Lord Jesus
Come, Lord Jesus! Do I dare
Cry: Lord Jesus, quickly come!
Flash the lightning in the air,
Crash the thunder on my home!
Should I speak this aweful prayer?
Come, Lord Jesus, help me dare.
Come, Lord Jesus! You I call
To come (come soon!) are not the child
Who lay once in the manger stall,
Are not the infant meek and mild.
You come in judgement on our all:
Help me to know you, whom I call.
Come, Lord Jesus! Come this night
With your purging and your power,
For the earth is dark with blight
And in sin we run and cower
Before the splendid, raging sight
Of the breaking of the night.
Come, my Lord! Our darkness end!
Break the bonds of time and space.
All the powers of evil rend
By the radiance of your face.
The laughing stars with joy attend:
Come Lord Jesus! Be my end!
– Madeleine L’Engle
Oh Madeleine, how I love thee.
Christie, your Advent posts are some of the ones I love, the ones that sidestep the cliches of Advent writing. Keep writing them.
Thanks, David. 🙂
Honestly, I’ve been feeling a little Advent-weary in my own blog reading lately. I think it may be that I’m tired of talking about Advent, but L’Engle reminds me that I’ll always love writing which embodies Advent. Whether or not I’ll always manage to stay on the right side of that line is another matter …
“…should I speak this aweful prayer?
Come Lord Jesus, help me dare…”
beautiful words.