The Laughter of October
Mirth at sunset,
when herons scream
like children
in the shallows,
and up
on the branches,
aurulent shafts of light
play with the shadows
of auburn leaves —
Come to me and stay
awhile,
for the laughter of October
is upon my face,
a golden glow,
a raging fire that hides
in the Indian summers
of my heart.
by D. G. Vachal. © 2012
*** photography by DigitalArt2@Flickr Commons
… traveling again with unpredictable web connectivity and a full schedule… my blogging activity will be sporadic for the next few days …
Warmth and Rain
A carpet of rain greets me
in the land of the rising sun,
soft as the smiles of women in kimonos,
gentle as their tread in silken slippers,
and my harried heart unravels
from the origami
of purple cranes —
dusk arrives in a myopic mist,
as the aircraft lifts me to the sky,
I watch infinite shades of blue
darken to indigo,
and the rain comes again to meet me
on the tarmac
in Manila —
late afternoon among the clouds,
descending slowly
upon these emerald islands,
the warmth surrounds me,
bare feet await
to walk through my familiar places
once again.
By D. G. V. © 2012
Finding Rest in a Restless World
“ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your soul. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
One of the greatest needs of mankind is simply just to rest. In spite of the economic and technological marvels of the modern era, never has life been so hectic and restless as it is today. At the same time, the pursuit of pleasure has intensified like never before, pleasure that gives a false sense of rest, a temporary relief at best.
Into a weary world that is stressed beyond exertion, comes an invitation from Jesus Christ to come to Him for rest. It is a call to all who labor and are heavy laden with burdens too heavy to bear. Christ confronts us with an offer: He will give us the rest we seek.
But we need to come to Him, and take His yoke upon us. Absolute allegiance is required. If we are to be yoked to Christ, we are to put ourselves under His instruction and teaching. A yoke takes only two — the teacher and the follower, so to be yoked to Christ is to forsake other teachings, to cleave to Him, and learn from Him.
How does Jesus give us this rest?
First, there is the rest of forgiveness. When we trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are justified by faith and obtain peace with God. When confronted with our past failures, shortcomings and sins that are beyond our own ability to rectify, we have the assurance that Christ has borne our guilt and sinfulness by His death on the cross, and paid the price for it all. He gives us rest from our conscience, rest from within. The rest of forgiveness.
Second, Christ gives us a new life as a result of being born again into the Kingdom of God. The new birth is not simply a moral teaching or moral effort: it is a miracle wherein Christ gives us His own nature; we become like Him. Christ gives us the rest that comes with a new nature, a new understanding and outlook in life, and a renewed mind.
Third, Christ promises to give us the Holy Spirit through Whom we receive the power and the strength to live this new life. We become partakers of the divine nature: God dwells in and within us, transforming and enabling us to do even those things that may seem impossible to the outside world.
True rest comes when our souls are at rest. Jesus Christ gives this true rest as our souls find our rest in God, a rest which Christ alone can offer as a free gift.
“The gospel of Jesus Christ only asks you one thing. Do you need rest? Have you failed to find it, are you desperately in need of it? Well if so, come!” 1
References:
C. H. Spurgeon, “Rest, Rest”, A Sermon delivered on the Lord’s Day January 8, 1871 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, UK
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Heart of the Gospel, Crossway Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1991, pp. 154-192
Footnote:
1 Ibid., p. 186
*** Photography: Heron by Preston Manning
Chestnuts in Kowloon
I have been to the Fragrant Harbor
far away,
where the people sounded like rain
upon the cobblestones,
and their laughter I called my own,
for once, for a little while
I was there
with you as we walked
past market stalls with the cackle
of hagglers
and scents of sesame and jasmine
filled the air,
we climbed tall buildings
and the peak of a mountain,
I was there
with you as we crossed the harbor
along with salt and seaweed,
by noon we reached Kowloon
famished,
and we shared a paper bag
filled with roasted chestnuts:
there by the lotus pond,
the moist white warmth and our dreams
fed our nameless hunger —
now the Fragrant Harbor awaits
far away,
but I am no longer there,
save the shriveled husks of chestnuts
we threw away so long ago
that for once, for a little while
burned among the coals.
by D. G. V. © 2012
lilies, sparrows and grass 
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