Mindful of Us

The breath and presence of God swirls in and through space and time,

knowing and touching all—

From the farthest reaches of the most distant galaxy and beyond

to the infinitesimal microscopic particle,

He sees all,

Knows all,

Is mindful of all.

Then somewhere in the great in between sits man.

“And what is man that Thou art mindful of him?”

Civilizations come. Civilizations go.

People plan their wars, build their mansions, consider what great works

they have done.

And yet, it amazes me that in the midst of it all, God’s ear is bent toward my call—

a simple woman’s plea—

And what art (woman) that Thou, (Almighty God) art mindful of (her)?

And it does not matter if one woman should wash her dishes in a sink or in the river.

He is mindful of us.

And it does not matter if one should place her frame in a warm bed or a tent

on Haiti’s shore.

He is mindful of us.

And as we each pull up the night cover under our chins

(not so unlike a prayer shawl of old),

He is, indeed, mindful of us.

Pray for Me

I will pray for you;

I hope you pray for me.

However should we keep our course

Upon this tempestuous sea?

Resist the waves of bitterness

That eat a cankerous wound,

Which twist and bore within our souls

To bring about our doom.

Let’s persevere the tempest

Springing panic in the night

When we weep upon our bed,

Engulfed in breathless might.

And keep from us the cutting words

Bearing venom for our brother;

For Christ the Judge stands at the door,

Commands us love each other.

And when we grow so weary,

Shall we clasp each other’s hand?

For it’s in the bond of unity

We make our valiant stand.

I will pray for you;

I know you pray for me.

However shall we keep our course,

Except on bended knee?

                           

                                                  D. Borkert ‘00

Christmas Came

Christmas almost didn’t come this year

Cause I was too busy for tinsel and cheer.

There was work to be done and events to plan.

If I didn’t watch it, all would get out of hand.

I had people to care for and money to make--

Other years would come, and Christmas could wait.

There were no decorations adorning the house,

No cookies, no presents. I guess I’m a louse.

No Christmas tree with an angel on top,

Even the nativity scene lay snug in its box.

Then,

It came.

It came unexpected. It came unannounced.

It came with a shake and rattled my house.

It was a miracle--

The miracle of life

It came in her smile, and it cut like a knife,

In an emergency room in a hospital bed,

When her gaze met mine--

Is that how it happened, oh so many years?

It came in the silence, it came amidst fears,

This miracle of life--

He came in His love, His mercy and grace.

He came to share life in a dark, wretched place.

And so few took notice the miracle had come.

They lived in their shadows.

We live there today.

Yet, Christmas came.

It came anyway.

Written several years ago after Katie was hanging Christmas lights with her dad and touched a power line into the house.