Joel McKerrow shares a beautiful poem of his, called “Blink” about God’s overwhelming peace – shalom which arrived at Christmas time in the form of baby Jesus.
Joel says: “The shalom/peace of God is what I am walking toward. It calls me forth in the reality of my everyday. So that my actions right here and now mean something, are building toward something. It is the big story that my small story gets caught up in. It draws me toward a world of peace and an inner life of peace. It shapes my present with peace and draws me toward the peace of the future.”
Look! Look! God has moved into the neighbourhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.
The revolution was born today.
Blink and you'll miss it.
The revolution was born today.
The non-violence. The peace.
Born today in the midst of Palestinian Territories.
In the midst of occupation and resistance
and fleeing and seeking asylum
and governments built on power
and a world built on atrocity,
the inequality of patriarchy.
In the midst of wrapping paper and gift. Blink.
In the midst of Christmas ham. Blink.
In the midst of family broken and family healed.
Blink and you'll miss it.
The revolution was born today.
A baby born today.
And that he would break the back of violence and injustice.
And that he would hold up
a new way of being
this humanity together
and that he would hold up
a new way of being
this divinity, together.
And that the gloom would dissipate. Blink.
And that the deep dark
would see the light dawn upon us all
like split night,
like shattered weight,
like war boots
and all talk of retribution have nowhere to march
and nothing more to speak. Blink.
The revolution was born today. Blink.
Peace born today. Blink.
A new way of being this human thing together. Blink.
He was born today. Blink.
So we were born today. Blink
and you'll miss it.
You can watch a short video of Joel performing ‘Blink’ here. This is a serious treat so make sure you check it out!
We invite you to prayerfully consider joining this work of restoration and hope by supporting Tearfund’s partners to overcome poverty and injustice.
