Breaking Through

 Haiku of inclusion

He’d had a vision.

Didn’t know what it meant, ‘til

the foreigners came.

The Holy Spirit

took him from his comfort zone

to meet with gentiles.

While Peter still spoke

the gentiles, once excluded,

received the Spirit

The Holy Spirit

fell on the gentiles, forcing

Peter’s acceptance.

Peter’s companions,

good Jews, circumcised and all,

were suitably shocked.

They heard them speaking

in tongues, giving praise to God.

We’d best baptise them!

Stick around, Peter

we need to hear more of this

Jesus sent from God.

© Ken Rookes 2024

The wilderness road

Haiku of inclusion and welcome

An angel told him:

take the wilderness road, south,

heading to Gaza.

Philip did as told,

not knowing who he would find.

He found a eunuch.

An important man,

the eunuch was heading home,

from Jerusalem.

In his chariot

reading Isaiah, puzzled

at what it might mean.

Do you understand?

Philip asked. I need someone

to guide me, he said.

Like a lamb, silent

before its shearer; this speaks

to us of Jesus.

They came to a pool.

What prevents my baptism?

the eunuch asked him.

He was baptised. The

Ethiopian entered

into God’s kingdom.

Outsider by race,

cut off in more ways than one;

he is made welcome.

© Ken Rookes 2024

Much bolder than before

Haiku for preachers

Prisoner Peter,

now much bolder than before,

is charged with preaching.

His resurrection

words are an embarrassment

to temple leaders.

Rulers, elders, scribes

led by the chief priest, and friends,

call him to account.

From where does it come,

your power; and in whose name

have you done this thing?

Peter tells it straight.

You’re questioning a good deed?

A sick man is healed!

‘Tis in Jesus’ name,

the Christ who was crucified.

God raised him to life!

The stone rejected

by you, who were the builders,

is God’s cornerstone.

There is no other

name in heaven or on earth;

he is salvation.

© Ken Rookes 2024

Walking, praising God

Haiku of witness

People came running.

having seen the crippled man

walking, praising God.

Peter points to God.

Such power isn’t from us,

we can’t make him walk!

Abraham, Isaac,

and Jacob; it was their God

who sent us Jesus.

You rejected him,

had him put to death, but God

raised him from the dead.

He was the author

of life, the one in whom all

people find true life.

By faith in Jesus

this man is healed and made strong;

you can all see this.

You and your rulers

were blinded. Prophets told us

the Christ must suffer.

You were ignorant,

now you know. Return to God,

and be forgiven.

© Ken Rookes 2024

All in common

Utopian haiku

Is it socialist,

this challenging description

of the early church?

They thought that their Lord

would return soon; possessions

no longer mattered!

Believers trusting

God, and trusting each other.

I like to think so.

Grace surrounding them;

God’s grace revealed in Jesus

shining out through them

No one was in need.

Generosity, sharing;

the pattern of life.

Lands and houses sold,

with the proceeds freely shared.

All held in common.

Powerful witness

to resurrection grace, hope;

made real in their midst.

His return delayed,

the socialist venture ends.

A pity, really.

© Ken Rookes 2024