Maranatha, enough.
Come Lord Jesus, come.
I am too aware
of what it is we should feel
at this time of Christmas dawning.
But at most the plea,
‘maranatha’
comes out in a whisper drawn,
‘And the people in the darkness
will see a great light,
on those in the dark,
a great light is falling.’
Oh, how we know what it is
that we’re meant to see,
at this time of Christmas appearing.
But for some the dark is a solid pall,
a shadow bearing down,
that the light is just a figment of imagination,
a bittersweet remembrance,
and a lost taste
left on the tongue.
Maranatha, enough now,
we have had more than we can bear
of suffering.
That like the virgin on a bed of straw,
we push and push to rid ourselves of
travail.
Come Lord Jesus,
become more real to us
than the night falling.
Be like the babe hidden
in a dark passage,
impelled to enter the world.
Show us what it means to be
with us hidden,
that we can turn the light on in the dark.
We don’t believe we
cannot see you here yet,
‘I would have fainted unless I had believed’.
‘Maranatha’
Burst into our world,
with your brightening dawn.
Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.’
Isaiah 9:2I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.’
Psalm 27:13-14