As the loquacious preacher expounded
on the inerrancy of the Bible and the existence of God,
and I, mesmerized, by his tide of words and hefty claims,
rose to raise my hands in surrender to his theological loft,
two wasps flew through an open window
and stung my palms.
And when the preacher went on about the woes
of doubting and straying from the fixed exegesis
of The Book, that “covered everything,”
and I was about to join in with a hearty, Amen!,
the piercing cry of a golden eagle,
struck my ears and rendered me mute.
And after the service, in the parking lot,
where a group had gathered to discuss the sermon,
and praise the irrefutable preacher, I paused to listen;
and when I was about to nod my acquiescent head,
a Pacific dogwood threw a branch over my shoulder
and spun me around,
and when I was about to protest — you guessed it —
a lily of the valley pressed a petal against my lips,
and led me away.
Ha, Smiling as I read this this morning Stephen. “Listen to the signs”. Nature speaks. Thanks for sharing this piece!
Thank you for responding, Kirk. Always appreciate your insights.
Amen.
Thank you, Adela.
As I went to copy a green heart to paste here, my finger slipped and opened a new tab. The article that opened was: “Fostering a Sense of Belonging through Nature and Nurture in STEM”! I guess that was a stick being thrown at me! :*)
Ha! Love that. Thanks Diane.
Lovely ?:)
Thanks, Ananda!
wasps – Joshua 24:12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out before you, the two kings of the Amorites; it was not by your sword or by your bow.
eagle – Isaiah 40:31 … they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
lily of the valley – Jesus in the hymn
So much that our desperate search for theological precision obscures….. beautifully written, and a startling critique!
You got it, Sam, although I didn’t remember the Joshua reference. Thanks so much for your encouragement!