Keep awake, herefore.

Haiku for the vigilant

Things we do not know:

what lies around the corner,

what is to happen.

The days of Noah,

eating drinking, marrying;

just like us today.

Planet Earth is stuffed.

Should be taking to the streets,

not watching TV.

What price relevance?

The things we’re doing in church,

while the planet cooks.

Does the Lord return?

Will he come to fix things up?

Not holding my breath.

The thieves are coming!

Climate change deniers, all,

stealing the future.

On the far right, fools

posit an infinite earth.

Extinctions abound.

The party goes on,

so much fun! Don’t disturb us;

we don’t want to know.

We did not expect.

But no! They warn us: twelve years!

What if they are right?

Sleep on, you Christians.

Would God let these things happen?

Who else will stop them?

© Ken Rookes 2019

Into Paradise

Haiku for dying

It was called The Skull

this place where death is dispensed

with lumber and nails.

Jesus, Son of Man,

has his own appointment there

his arms stretched out wide.

To his right and left

two criminals share with him

his sentence and pain.

The leaders mock him,

along with the killing squad:

Save yourself, O King!

One felon joins in,

deriding him with mocking:

Save yourself, and us!

He has done no wrong;

leave him! Our condemnation

is just; his is not.

Jesus, think on me,

the second spoke, when you come

into your kingdom.

We die together.

This day you’ll journey with me

into Paradise.

© Ken Rookes 2019

Look at these stones

Haiku for upheaval

The physical realm

strides to the front: Look at me,

my beautiful stones!

Humankind built me

to honour God, or perhaps

for their own honour.

Not one of these stones

will remain standing, he said.

All will be thrown down.

The time is coming

when this temple is rubble,

and all it stands for.

When will these things be,

what will be the sign of them?

How can we prepare?

You cannot prepare.

There will be upheaval, wars

and dreadful portents.

They will arrest you,

lock you up, hand you over;

be ready to speak.

My words will be yours,

wisdom too. You will suffer,

some of you will die.

But you will endure.

I am with you, and your souls

are held in my hand.

© Ken Rookes 2019.

No resurrection?

Haiku for questioners

No resurrection?

Not the way Jesus saw it.

Does that make him right?

Sadducees say no,

life is finite. We live once,

end of the story.

Myself, I waver;

does that mean I’m lacking faith?

Please don’t condemn me.

Should that day arrive

and we stand before God’s throne,

all must trust in grace.

The Sadducees bring

their convoluted question:

whose wife will she be?

Jesus laughs them off;

marriage has no purpose then,

in the life to come.

Offering his own

complex logic, Jesus proves

that the dead are raised,

God rules the living,

that is what really matters;

serve the living God.

© Ken Rookes 2019