The saint

After Philippians 1:1-2

The saint is the holy one,

the holy one set apart

by God, the one pulled away

from what surrounds and

strangles, pulled away

to what feeds and strengthens.

It is an identity, superseding

any other designation,

any other label, any other claim,

any other identity.

Before we are anything,

we are saints.

Photograph by Samuel Zeller via Unsplash. Used with permission.

The servant is served

After Philippians 1:1-2

A servant works to serve,

to provide, to do as directed,

do it well and with good heart.

And in this process of serving,

the servant in turn receives,

is served, because that’s how

it works, how it replicates

itself, because by serving,

the seed is watered,

the seed sprouts,

the seed grows.

The servant is both

the planter and the seed.

Photograph by Jeremy Yap via Unsplash. Used with permission.

A simple greeting

After Philippians 1:1-2

Just a simple greeting,

not much more than

a hello, a short salutation,

a few words, but a greeting

packed with meaning:

the sender, a servant,

a helper;

the receivers: servants

and overseers. The word

for both is stated

and implied: servant,

the people who serve

others.

That is the story,

the point. That’s what

it was and is and will be.

Photograph by Rawpixel via Unsplash. Used with permission.