24 February 2010

September, 1918

"September, 1918"

This afternoon was the colour of water falling through sunlight;
The trees glittered with the tumbling of leaves;
The sidewalks shone like alleys of dropped maple leaves;
And the houses ran along them laughing out of square, open windows.
Under a tree in the park,
Two little boys, lying flat on their faces,
Were carefully gathering red berries
To put in a pasteboard box.

Some day there will be no war.
Then I shall take out this afternoon
And turn it in my fingers,
And remark the sweet taste of it upon my palate,
And note the crisp variety of its flight of leaves.
To-day I can only gather it
And put it into my lunch box,
For I have time for nothing
But the endeavour to balance myself
Upon a broken world.
~ Amy Lowell


We read this poem for class the other day, and I find it absolutely beautiful. So, I thought I would share.

18 February 2010

On Psalm 119

This week I'm reading and meditating on Psalm 119 with my Journey group here at school. Today was my first day, and as I was reading the introduction to the Psalm in my Bible these words struck me: "The psalm speaks the language of one ravished with moral beauty, to which there is only one fitting response -- to try to reproduce this beauty, as much as possible, in one's daily life" through "yearning, trust, and dependence on God." Wow! These words struck me with incredible power, and I have been pondering ever since the wonder of being ravished by God's moral beauty, his beauty of holiness, mercy, grace, justice, and so many other attributes such that we can response with nothing other than worship, submission, love, wonder, and yearning for more of Him! Is it not a glorious thought? O, to be moved in such a way!