An Extraordinary Place
ian gilmour
November 24, 2013
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Matthew 25: 31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fireprepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
When we enter here,
it is so often with a frown,
In these unusual cathedrals of flashing blue light.
We encounter people
with cuts and bruises,
broken bones or minds
cancerous lumps and bandaged limbs.
It is a gathering place for visitors,
arriving by air, train, bus and taxi,
bustling to offer love, compassion and peace,
thinly disguised in magazines, biscuits and sweets.
Sadly no longer any flowers,
those colourful fragrants
can’t use green dispensers of hibiscrub!
It is a theatre of blood, given and received
A place of injections, tablets and bleeps
unappetisingly well meant food.
It is a hotel of pain
with 24 hour on call care
warm hearted nurses, cool hearted physios
all striving to make you feel better.
Dashing doctors visibly hurry,
looking younger than springtime
wearing street clothes,
a stethoscope draped over each thin neck
Consultants are invisible, mysterious, like God or kingfishers
mentioned only in covert conversations.
“I did spot one, before dawn on New Year’s Day 2013”
Healing offered, hope dispensed. even hearts transplanted.
everyday miracles
an appendix removed,
a baby born
sight restored
new friendships forged
brows unfurrowed
following a stay in one of their crucibles, a ward
even the worn out are changed from glory to glory.
Some are named after saints,
St John or St Andrew
These are big buildings
attempting big things
for their creator,
at an immense cost.
Attempting Jesus words, on the hour, every hour;
“Whatever you did for one of these least important
brothers and sisters of mine you did for me.”
Ian Y. Gilmour, St Andrew's and St George's West Church Edinburgh
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