An Advent Warning

Come, Day of God, Come!
Are children cared for by lost youths of yesteryear,
weakened, humbled souls,
pared down by two thousand years of adultedness,
struggling ones, buried under wintry traditions,
serving with mocking tolerance,
while little ones wander in avenues of daily blooming disaster,
suffering and wondering, why?
Reminders are given by bookish ones from city lanes and country homes,
lessons of injuries and martyrdoms,
pointing the way ahead to those who would see.
Come, Day of God, Come!

Star-gowned singers, grown in sin, mourn in a major key,
surrounded by stone and wood and brass.
Impressive expressions!
And yet the sweetest sounding note be junk...
... to him who wants only...love...called...strong!
The praise of God a minor thing?
Spirit truly shrieks within!
But, O what joy to find tradition spring to life,
budding into marvelous flower,
activated by the heart to sing afresh
and shout the great news of the world-morn to come!
And so the ultimate reward of divine patience
shall indeed rest in his majestic presence.
Come, Day of God, Come!

O Jesus, the descending king, seek your own to lead and quicken!
Away with abuse, brutal and treacherous,
that attacks sound minds, freezing their song in fear!
And yet a melting into humble power is done
by the helping Spirit One,
and we become deeply thoughtful,
concerned ones, really no longer divided by the evil one.
Let the educators awake in time and wonder
at His plan to accomplish all on sounding trumpet.
Come, Day of God, Come!

Written Advent A.D. 1999 – Richard Bunn, Toronto

Someone's Coming! Are You Ready?

ARE OUR CHILDREN WELL TAUGHT, CARED FOR
BY LOST YOUTHS OF YESTERYEAR?
WEAKENED, HUMBLED SOULS, PARED DOWN BY TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF ADULTEDNESS,
STRUGGLING ONES, BURIED UNDER WINTRY TRADITIONS, SERVING WITH MOCKING TOLERANCE,
WHILE LITTLE ONES WANDER IN AVENUES OF DAILY BLOOMING DISASTER, SUFFERING AND WONDERING, WHY?
REMINDERS ARE GIVEN BY BOOKISH ONES
FROM CITY LANES AND COUNTRY HOMES,
LESSONS OF INJURIES AND MARTYRDOMS,
POINTING THE WAY AHEAD
TO THOSE WHO WOULD SEE.
COME, DAY OF GOD, COME!

STAR-GOWNED SINGERS, GROWN IN SIN,
MOURN IN A MAJOR KEY,
SURROUNDED BY STONE AND WOOD AND BRASS.
IMPRESSIVE EXPRESSIONS!
AND YET THE SWEETEST SOUNDING NOTE
BE JUNK...TO HIM WHO WANTS ONLY...LOVE...CALLED...STRONG!
THE PRAISE OF GOD A MINOR THING?
SPIRIT TRULY SHRIEKS WITHIN!
BUT, O WHAT JOY!
TO FIND TRADITION SPRING TO LIFE,
BUDDING INTO MARVELOUS FLOWER,
ACTIVATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SING AFRESH
AND SHOUT THE GREAT NEWS
OF THE WORLD-MORN TO COME!
AND SO THE ULTIMATE REWARD
OF DIVINE PATIENCE
SHALL INDEED REST IN THE MAJESTIC PRESENCE OF JESUS,
COME, LORD, COME!