Sunday, October 22, 2006

Women's Retreat

Born under a cloud of never-meant-to-be,
Surrounded by elephants and leeches,
It doesn't take me long to reject
The God of the Plan.

Some are warmed by this God.
To me, that God is cold comfort,
Like worshipping an unlit yule log.

Searching for order in the Mystery,
I embrace the God of the Choice.
I flirt with Pelagius,
and throw my lot in with Arminius.

I embrace the God of the Process,
This messy, dynamic, frightening Being,
Who is willing to wrestle with me,
Down in the dust like two small boys,
Like he wrestled with my forefather Jacob.

This is what warms me: this Opponent-Friend of mine.
I taste the salt of his sweat.
I feel his hot breath on my neck.
I hear his calls for my surrender.
We are locked forever in each others' grasp,
and there is no letting go.

It is the struggler who reaches Peniel.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh,my. you are awesome.

Anonymous said...

i forgot to say, that this is briliant.

Anonymous said...

Amazing.

Dan Lower said...

Cool. Can't say I quite understand it--it might take me a few years.

What's "Peniel"?

L-Po said...

Well, Little Baby On Campus, Peniel means "face of God." That is what Jacob called the place he wrestled with God (see Genesis 32 for details). Maybe someday we can sit down and "unpack" this poem together.

Anonymous said...

I have been meaning to write you regarding this for awhile....I LOVED this poem! And yes, I get the references...and chuckle...

I appreciate how you depict the Opponent-Friendship with Him. To me you show someone who could be quite istic but chooses rather to continue to embrace the conflict for the greater outcome. It is the one who strives and questions and challenges, I believe, who is blessed with a deeper relationship ultimately; one who is not satisfied to take the food meant for mass consumption as the only form of nutrition. And the one who can continue to struggle and fight and pursue even when the sun goes down and the rain starts to pour.

And like any good piece of poetry, I keep going back and chewing on it....holding it up for a different view....a different angle.

Here, Here!

Dan Lower said...

So when will we have a new post?

Anonymous said...

Wow! You never cease to amaze me. Have you submitted this anywhere for publication?

Anonymous said...

rad.

i am impressed.

1337 skillz