Benediction inspired by the Book of John

In 2021 I was attending The Church We Hope For and was asked to create a community poem to end our series on the Book of John. The poem below is the poem created in collaboration with our church familia as we shared our observations, thoughts, and testimonies from our weeks spent studying the John’s gospel. Below I provide a short excerpt of the poem. The rest is available for paid subscribers. Consider becoming a paid subscriber today to access more poetry, essays, and podcasts!

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Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash

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There are Psalm 22 days,
Where we can barely exhale the words
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
There are days when the shattering is so deep
No amount of honey gold could bind our wounds
there are John 22 days
Where triumph is a gathering, a meal, a walk, and a purpose
Because God is the sweetness that satisfied
Because God is the gold that brings value
Because God is the one who holds our Psalm 22 and our John 22