We groan

After Romans 8:12-25

We groan within,

a racking of the soul, 

a piercing of the heart,

a stifled scream, for

what we know is

coming, the changes

promised, a new heaven

and a new earth,

a new father and

a new body,

a realization of hope

for the unseen, a hope

promised and anticipated,

a hope enshrouded

with patience. That is

what we groan for.

Photograph by Camila Quintero Franco via Unsplash. Used with permission.

What we abandon

After Isaiah 65: 17-25

New creation, the second,

beckons, extending

the invitation to step

forward, leaving behind

premature death, futility

of work, rotting

vineyards and cursed

fields, turning our backs

on the houses stolen

from us, the futility

and vanity of toil.

Step forward and accept

the lion and the lamb

lying together in peace,

in the safety of

the holy mountain. It is

only a step forward,

a step through. It is

the first word and

the last word,

a single step.