The good news begins

 

Haiku of commencement

The good news begins

as Jesus, also called Christ,

is waiting offstage.

Voice in wilderness.

Baptiser John, the wild man,

makes the announcement.

The Lord comes! Prepare

to receive him; be ready

to hear his message.

The crowd flocks to John

to hear his repentance call,

to be forgiven.

He is a wild man,

this baptiser; dressed roughly,

living on insects.

Easy to ignore

the impolite, to discard

their uncultured words.

Coming after me

is one far greater; he will

baptise with Spirit.

© Ken Rookes 2020

Days of Darkness

 

Eschatological haiku

The days of darkness

are coming upon us all;

the sun will be hid.

The moon will not shine,

and the ever faithful stars

will absent themselves.

We might all be lost,

unable to navigate,

or to find the way.

Will he be coming,

the sky-sweeping Son of Man,

to bring us all home​?

Read the signs, he told

his friends. The fig tree’s lessons

are long forgotten.

The generation

did, in fact, pass away; He

must have got it wrong.

My words will remain

when all else is gone, he said.

Ah, Lord, but which ones?

When not expected

the Master will return. Be

about his business.

© Ken Rookes 2020

Not yet enough

 

Days of darkness,

days of fear.

The sun is hidden,

Even the moon directs its light elsewhere,

bending its rays away from planet earth.

The stars absent themselves,

as if there is not yet enough darkness.

The shadows expand and creep to embrace the forlorn landscape,

growing warmer every day.

The Son of Man, they say,

comes in the clouds to gather the elect.

Does he?

There are signs for those who can read,

but the good christian folk cannot see them,

having found more earthly distractions.

The fig tree’s lessons have been forgotten.

The generation did, in fact, pass away,

as have hundreds since.

Must have got it wrong.

His words, Mark tells us, will remain for all time.

The good christians all concur,

but find it hard to agree on which ones.

The story tells us that the master will return

at an inconvenient hour.

The faithful servants will not be fazed.

© Ken Rookes 2020

A final kingdom image

Haiku for ruminants

Matthew delivers

a final kingdom image:

sheep, goats and judgement.

The sheep receive praise,

commendation for their acts

of love and service.

Hungry or thirsty,

naked, stranger, in prison;

so many need help!

So much injustice,

while those who pretend to care

only want power.

As you act with love

to the least of my fam’ly

you show love to me.

On the other hand,

the goats stand condemned, having

failed to practise love.

Jesus, Son of Man,

measures kingdom credentials

by love and service.

© Ken Rookes 2020

Buckets of Money

 

Haiku for having a go.

The journeying man,

in the story Jesus told,

left his slaves in charge.

Diff’rent sized buckets

of money according to

perceived competence.

Take what you’re given

and use it well, with wisdom,

grace and compassion.

Fear is enemy

to action. What if I fail;

what if I blow it?

The master returns

to inspect the estate. How

is your stewardship?

Days of accounting

wherein my efforts are judged.

I have judged myself.

Well done, companions,

you have loved, served and striven!

You are my true friends.

© Ken Rookes 2020

Ten Dancing Girls

 

Haiku of preparedness

He tells a story.

How to enter the kingdom:

make no assumptions!

They carried their lamps

these bridesmaids, ready to dance

the groom to the feast.

No invitations,

their danced welcome should suffice

to gain them entry.

Waiting in the street.

Where is the groom, he is late/

They sat down and slept.

Of the ten, five brought

spare oil, ready to deal with

any circumstance.

Five were unprepared.

While they were shopping for oil

the bridegroom arrived.

Five girls missed the dance

and also missed the party;

always be prepared.

Keep awake, therefore.

Wakefulness, preparedness,

unremitting love.

© Ken Rookes 2020