Who's Awake?

All the world was struggling to stay awake
couldn't stay awake, swiftly drifting
into sleep
and we were there with them, sleeping too
or rather, trying to stay awake,
listening for the presence of your coming,
waiting... just a little more... waiting...
after years of struggle, we slept
in our early days, we were sleeping
when you came, our father was awake,
why was he awake?
Why was he awake?
Why under God's heaven and in God's name was Abram awake?
Awake beneath the stars to listen to your voice,
to capture in his imagination, the promise of your presence
a presence to lead to nationhood and land in a history to be filled
guaranteed by who?
Your voice without description and your person without history?
Why was Abram there to trust you?
You who gave so little credentials concerning yourself?
Why did he speak and who was he serving?
Did he know what you would demand, what friendship demanded?
Would he have assented so willingly knowing his generations cost?
Why did you yoke yourself so unevenly with us?
You had no illusions about who we were,
but now I overstep, I lack your imagination for who we could become.
Forgive me, I see only the immediate
while you have had time beyond memory to perceive
and work the end for which this is all made.

beginnings

Worlds are shaped by language. God made us by speaking. Words shape life. I will hope and strive that my words are life-giving, life-shaped, issuing from the eternal Word's speaking and creating.

We, to meet your acquaintance one day,
a day when knowing you is no longer
clouded by our history-making,
distorted by our darkened groping,
hidden in your agents forth-telling
or our kicking against your compelling;
were that it possible, in likely and unlikely futures
to know with assurance your acquaintance,
one day to find ourselves, (myself), on the inside
of your mysteries older than the earth itself,
in the presence of your speaking
no longer subject to our deafening
by objects imposed and cluttering,
instead,
when we become recipients of your promising,
confirm our status as hearers in our obeying
and believers in your living.