Scandalous Blaze

 

Scandalous Blaze

by Melissa Campbell

When dark night settles heavy,
Hope pregnant with delay,
Holy angels come to gather
Those fallen to the sway,
Of self-love seduction,
And find,
A little faith sustained.

A happy flicker, faint at first,

One virgin wick just catching flame;

Bends low among the rushes,

Yields strong to winds of change;
When all around just ashes,

A remnant burn remains.

Such burning ones bleed,
Drip oil of Majesty,
Limp broken by their need,

Track heaven-scent along the street,
And sing to the wounded,
Love songs...

...A costly perfume,
For those who stand on the outside looking in,

Where stained-glass-window seats,
Shutter, shake,
And silver-tipped steeples,
Teeter, break,

And well-behaved worshipers,
Scatter, scathed,
Bathe long in after-glow of former glory...

And those seeking to know as they are known,
Turn faces full to welcome sun and fire's purge and race's run,

Rising up to lay-me-down, prostrate,

And willing to kiss both cheeks soft good-bye,
In final sacrifice,

Only after swallowing up the night,
In scandalous blaze...

...of glory.

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you.

~ Isaiah 60:1,2 

My inspiration for writing these lines came in the reading of Charissa Steyn's blog-post at Everyday Adventures:  Be Like Happy (Click to read.)

Re-posting from the archives for One Shot Wednesday.

 

Photo Credit:  flickr - Ben Britten
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. As taken from Bible Gateway.