I don't have anything open on my desktop that's appropriate for Good Friday, so I'm going to take a break from my NPM project, involving posting broken shards in hopes that they will turn into something entirely new, and instead reprise the poem I shared in my Good Friday post in 2014.
The silence of God
It’s enough to drive a man crazy; it’ll break a man’s faith
It’s enough to make him wonder if he’s ever been sane
When he’s bleating for comfort from Thy staff and Thy rod
And the heaven’s only answer is the silence of God
It’ll shake a man’s timbers when he loses his heart
When he has to remember what broke him apart
This yoke may be easy, but this burden is not
When the crying fields are frozen by the silence of God
And if a man has got to listen to the voices of the mob
Who are reeling in the throes of all the happiness they’ve got
When they tell you all their troubles have been nailed up to that cross
Then what about the times when even followers get lost?
’Cause we all get lost sometimes…
There’s a statue of Jesus on a monastery knoll
In the hills of Kentucky, all quiet and cold
And He’s kneeling in the garden, as silent as a stone
All His friends are sleeping and He’s weeping all alone
And the man of all sorrows, he never forgot
What sorrow is carried by the hearts that he bought
So when the questions dissolve into the silence of God
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
The aching may remain, but the breaking does not
In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God
— Andrew Peterson
"The Silence of God" in Love & Thunder
Here's a photo of the statue of Jesus mentioned in the fourth stanza. The monastery knoll is at Gethsemani Monastery in Bardstown, Kentucky. I went there for a Good Friday service once when I was in college.
I've been thoroughly enjoying the Progressive Poem so far, and my turn to add a line is coming up on Sunday!
April 1 Irene at Live Your Poem
2 Donna Smith at Mainely Write
3 Catherine Flynn at Reading to the Core
4 Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading
5 Buffy at Buffy Silverman
6 Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone
7 Kim Johnson at Common Threads
8 Rose Cappelli at Imagine the Possibilities
9 Carol Varsalona at Beyond Literacy Link
10 Linda Baie at Teacher Dance
11 Janet Fagel at Reflections on the Teche
12 Jone at Jone Rush MacCulloch
13 Karin Fisher-Golton at Still in Awe
14 Denise Krebs at Dare to Care
15 Carol Labuzzetta @ The Apples in my Orchard
16 Heidi Mordhorst at My Juicy Little Universe
17 Ruth at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken Town
18 Patricia at Reverie
19 Christie at Wondering and Wandering
20 Robyn Hood Black at Life on the Deckle Edge
21 Kevin at Dog Trax
22 Margaret at Reflections on the Teche
23 Leigh Anne at A Day in the Life
24 Marcie Atkins
25 Marilyn Garcia
26 JoAnn Early Macken
27 Janice at Salt City Verse
28 Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference
29 Karen Eastlund at Karen’s Got a Blog
30 Michelle Kogan Painting, Illustration, & Writing
Today's roundup is hosted by the prolific and creative Matt, here.
8 comments:
Seems as if this poem is special for every year, Ruth. I must have seen it, but am glad you posted again. Happy Easter to you & your husband.
To say this is powerful is an understatement; thanks for sharing, Ruth. It's certainly an appropriate poem not just for today, but every Good Friday.
Ruth, I love that you sent a song along with the poem. Today is a solemn day. I was so happy to attend a Passion service at a beautiful church. We were asked to leave the church in silence. I felt the presence of the Lord. Your poem emphasizes the goodness of this day.
I will be thinking on this poem for a long time, Ruth. Thank you for sharing, and have a joy-filled Easter.
Oh, I've been hearing the silence of God for some time now these past months... it does break a (wo)man's heart. Thank you, Ruth.
Thank you for your post. Repetition is so powerful in this poem/lyric.
Goodness, I didn't read carefully and I thought YOU had written what I was sure was a song. And it was--just not by you. A good one! Off to see your line....
Ruth, I love that you provided a photo to go with the poem. That stanza about the statue of Jesus came alive when I saw the photo. Thank you for sharing that powerful poem. The last stanza is aching. "In the holy, lonesome echo of the silence of God" Thank you, Jesus, for bearing the silence. Amen.
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