November 11, 2013

Haiyan

I sit here, dreaming of Christmas

while in the Philippines thousands die

and I struggle, celebrating the season

when for so many it will never come

or may come without the same joy I enjoy

no tearing of flimsy paper

no welcoming of distant loves

no shelter from the world outside

it is so vastly unfair they endure this pain

as daily I take such joy for granted

the greatest of my worries insignificant

by comparison to their fight to survive

and I ask our mutual God some questions

why such pain for them while I have little

how do I wrap my life around so great a loss

where is Your grace amidst this calamity

oh my God! grant me the sight

to not belittle You or aggrandize death

let me do justice to Your Word and these

whose lives have been shattered

even as I celebrate salvation