At last, we have come to the end of the journey that is ‘Sanctuary’.
This final poem is a response to questions we may all have asked ourselves at some point in our lives: where is the presence of God?
And the answer may be closer than you think.
Here are some words from The Poet on this poem:
“In this final poem, I found myself remembering an important fact about finding sanctuary in God: it is not a one-sided desire.
“Just as much as we seek the rest, hope, unconditional love, and encouragement that comes with dwelling in God’s presence, God also seeks to share all of this and more with us all the time.
“Understanding this allows the misconstrued idea of God’s characteristics and Their relationship to us to be deconstructed. Instead of God being an unimaginably enormous, impersonal authoritarian figure that watches us from Heaven with contempt, God reveals Themselves to be on our level, at our side, ready and willing and eager to embrace, teach and guide us.
“And thus, to the question of where can we find God to find sanctuary, I say: it is right here. As close as the earth under our nails.
“Just as Jesus walked and dwelt with his disciples as a loving friend and patient teacher who guided them as they grew in strength and wisdom each day, so too does God walk with and dwell with us right now.
“God is essence of hope and love that, every day, is ready to embrace us in times of loss and sorrow, to lift the burdens of life from our shoulders, renew our souls with peace when the world becomes incomprehensible, and help us begin again. Sanctuary in God is living every day with the awareness of God’s intimate proximity to us as we walk with Them, lean on Them, and trust in Their everlasting love for who we are, as we are.
“Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.” Lamentations 3:21-23 (Good News Translation)
“This and all the poems in ‘Sanctuary’ were a direct result of the time I spent talking with, volunteering with, and learning from many wise and inspired members of One Church Brighton, inside and outside Sunday service. That empathetic communion with each other is a manifestation of God’s love for every human on this planet. I aimed to capture that spirit, as well as a more personal communal perspective of God, in this whole collection, and I hope I have been able to do so.
“Thank you for reading.”