Miyako Namikawa rscj

Poems for Advent

"When peaceful silence layover all,
and night had run half of her swift course,
down from the heavens, from the royal throne,
leapt your all powerful Word
into the heart of a doomed land..."
Wisdom 18:14-15.

I wonder at the very Love of God
in entering into our world of sin.
Did God hear the muted cries
of murder victims; war's hoarse
battle noise; and women raped
and children killed?

He came as Prince of Peace
into this world.
And that this world knew him not
came as no surprise.

He came:
And how is there saving in that coming?
Wars still rage,
Women are still raped
and children's lives are still traumatised.
Man's inhumanity to man
through all these ages carries on.

Dare I ask for meaning in this coming?
As though this Almighty Word;
This Prince of Peace
Somehow failed in Love's decision?

But I bow my head with shame
I find Thee, my God, Love's pure flame
in the depth of every sinful situation.
How can it be that in every victim
You I see?

This Almighty Word
a path has riven through each tragic horror
and waits upon our naming Him
in these our darkest, secret places.
Our Prince of Peace is come
Emmanuel - God is with us.




"He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, and there will be no more training for war. 0 House of Jacob, come, Let us walk in the light of the Lord." Isaiah 2:4-5.

The messengers from Heaven speak "Peace"
And here we hear the deadly clang of war.
Not the clash of metal on metal,
but the earth-rocking thud of mortar;
And the chatter of the snipers bullets
That dispose of Life and Home.
Power rampant has no room for Peace.
It grabs and snarls and hurls more fury
On the anawim, who stay,
for where would they go?
Evil's fascination, gun in hand, euphoric,
determines life or death.
And must they all die?

Those who hear the cry for Peace
Seek to mediate.
Israeli and the P.LO.
South Africa: Black with White.
Ulster, Eire and London.

Terrorists, still gun-toting, bomb-making,
That fascination cloying –
For how otherwise would they know themselves
Without the adrenalin rush
that makes them Lords of Destiny?

Peace we pray
Peace we crave.
Would that we could rend the heavens
With our heartfelt cry;
Rather than the earth
Without continuing devastation.

Come, come Prince of Peace.
Cure us of this curse to kill
Be with us
Emmanuel, God be with us.