He needed the knowledge

After 2 Samuel 24 

Knowing better, having

experiences untold, 

he needed to measure

his power, he needed

an accounting of what

he controlled, forgetting

what that implied,

what happens when

you rely upon yourself,

your resources, your power

to account for your

security. He knew better;

it had happened before,

many times. He’s seen it 

with Saul, with Goliath

and the Philistines, with

Absalom, over and over

again, and still he did

what he set his heart

upon doing. And once

again, predictably,

he learned how actions

lead to destruction.

And in an instant.

 

Photograph by Cheryl Laithang via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Sunday Readings

 

Dante and the Companioned Journey –Malcolm Guite.

 

The strange death of Christian Scotland – John MacLeod at The Critic Magazine.

 

The State of the Church in Iran – byFaith.

 

The Chalice of Canterbury: A Call to Faithful Anglicans – Bishop Ceiron Dewar at The Crux of It.

 

Hard Stop – poem by James Matthew Wilson at First Things Magazine.

Where to place your heart?

After 2 Samuel 24 

It’s a choice: where

to place your heart,

your hope, your confidence?

You have a multitude

of possibilities, of answers:

money, investments, 

property, possessions,

knowledge, experience,

reputation, family, health,

and more. He made his

choice, because of his power,

his influence, his span

of control. He forgot

the words of Joshua,

as for him and his house.

 

Photograph by Jamie Street via Unsplash. Used with permission.

Some Friday Readings

 

“The Messiah: A Sacred Eclogue,” poem by Alexander Pope – D.S. Martin at Kingdom Poets.

 

“Lord, in This Thy Mercy’s Day,” hymn by Isaac Williams – Anthony Esolen at Word & Song.

 

A Thousand Lives – poem by Seth Lewis.