broken – Kate Bluett

Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened,
the ears of the deaf be cleared;
then will the lame leap like a stag,
then the tongue of the mute will sing.
Streams will burst forth in the desert,
and rivers in the steppe.
The burning sands will become pools,
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
—Isaiah 35:4-7a

Come all whose hearts are frightened
and blinded by their tears,
for Christ the dawn arising
like day is drawing near,
and you who sit within the dark
will see, at last, the brightest spark.

Come all whose hearts are muted
by this world's angry noise,
for Christ, in our confusion,
speaks out, a still, small voice.
You've kept your silence for so long,
but you will raise the joyful song.

Come all whose hearts are burning,
are withered in their drought,
for Christ, our deepest yearning,
splits heaven and pours down.
The living water, gentle rain,
will bring you back to life again.

Come all whose hearts are broken—
though no step can you make—
for Christ, the Word, is spoken
and meets you on the way.
He makes our brokenness his own,
and all the wounded shall be whole.

Desna river, feeder of the Southern Bug, at dawn. Ukraine, Vinnytsia Raion By George Chernilevsky – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82439234

The bruised reed broke off in your hand;
the dimly burning light blew out
that in the storm wind could not stand
and could not raise a joyful shout.

Not only broken: hollowed, carved,
the marrow scraped out of the bone,
the reed you make a flute, O God,
to sound a clear and piercing note.

So you will take the guttered wick
and gather up the grime, the soot,
to write your word in darkest ink—
the vanished flame still shows your truth.

For this, O glory of the Lord,
you came, a reed, to break with us.
You doused your flame, shone out no more,
to swirl your soot into our dust.

Write it in my most distant parts—
though broken, they are not cut off;
though doused, the light burns in my heart.
I still am gathered in your love.

Tag: broken

Come All Whose Hearts

Bruised Reed