The Absence
John 11
Jesus said , "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’
I never knew what absence felt like
Till now.
That’s the worst of it.
People talk about the unoccupied chair, the unfilled clothes, the unslept side of the bed.
It’s all here.
But it’s more than all of that, this absence.
How could it be otherwise?
The Word speaks of two becoming one.
A mystery Paul called it.
And now the one is mutilated,
Me.
The absence touches everything.
Walking the streets – do these people not know?
Standing in Church – how can they sing?
Sitting at home and she beyond sight, touch, call.
I’m remembering Jesus, reaching out to Martha and Mary,
Sharing the greatest promise ever.
I want these words to touch me in the depths,
With strength greater than my own,
With peace I cannot achieve,
With hope that endures beyond death.
Help me to believe He is not absent,
That there is a future for me to live with Him,
That there will be opportunities to serve Him,
That in the end there will be a Kingdom to share with those who are one with You.
by Fergus Buchanan, St Paul's Parish Church, Milngavie
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