Lent is merely resurrection bound, while Advent
has the new creation in its sights, which we
for fear strive to soften with our manger scenes
the Christmas infant bonny, undemanding,
and serene – advertising’s dream; nothing like
the firebrand we felt compelled to quench
Lent explores my own role in this quenching,
yet with the eighth day of the week in view –
too small therefore in scope and in conceiving
Advent is by far the tougher call:
confronting us just as the adult Jesus
did for truth and love, to choose:
to die by glamorous conceits? or,
painfully rebuilt, to live – and square
the living to the prayer he taught?
©The Revd. Jim McPherson
Image The Lord’s Prayer, laydenwithstitches, Creative Commons 2.0
The Rev. Canon Dr. James M. McPherson from Australia, was a Distinguished Academic Visitor to Vaughan Park in 2008. His poetry has been widely published. He is also a regular contributor to our Moments page.