Come

Haiku for the ready

First, John the Baptist.

Mark moves him from centre-stage,

has him arrested.

Proclaiming good news

Jesus came to Galilee:

The time is fulfilled!

The Kingdom of God

comes nearer with every word

that I speak to you.

Simon and Andrew,

fishing brothers casting nets;

Jesus calls to them.

Come and follow me,

together we will call folk

into God’s kingdom.

We’ll share divine life,

filled with love, shaped by mercy,

transfigured through hope.

Brothers James and John

mending nets on board their boat,

Jesus calls them, too.

So Simon, Andrew,

James and John, hearing the call,

leave their nets behind.

© Ken Rookes 2021

Go, therefore.

Haiku for those who are sent

Eleven of them

went to Galilee, as told.

Where were the women?

There, on the mountain

they met and worshipped Jesus;

but some were doubting.

All authority

has been entrusted to me:

gather disciples.

Make them mine; baptise

in the name of the Father,

the Son and Spirit.

Teach them to obey

all that I have commanded.

This is true worship.

Remember, my friends,

I will always be with you

to the age's end.

© Ken Rookes 2017

When Jesus calls

Haiku for taking a chance

With John arrested

Jesus withdraws, goes back home;

north, to Galilee.

He leaves Nazareth

and moves to Capernaum.

There he makes his home.

What the prophet said

is about to be fulfilled;

a great light has dawned.

Commencing his work,

he begins to preach. “Repent,

the kingdom comes near.”

Walking by the sea

he sees Andrew and Simon

casting out their nets.

He calls the brothers,

“Come and follow, learn from me;

we'll fish for people.”

Best offer all day!

The fishers laugh, choose the risk,

leave behind their nets.

Further down the shore

He comes across more brothers,

sons of Zebedee.

In their father's boat,

Sons of Thunder, James and John,

also get the call.

In a flash, the pair

stop, weigh their options, and leave

dad to mend the nets.

© Ken Rookes 2017

Tossed about with Jesus

Our reading from the Gospel according to Mark is highly symbolic. The disciples are all in a boat with Jesus, trying to get to the other side of the sea, when a wild storm whips up and threatens to smash the boat and drown them all. In the gospels, and especially in Mark's gospel, being in a boat together, and especially in a boat with Jesus, is a symbol of being in the church. That's why the national and world councils of churches use the boat as their logo. We're all in the same boat, it is saying. So our story is a picture of the church. They are trying to get to the other side of the sea. This too is an image that is used symbolically over and over in the Bible. Crossing the Red Sea, crossing the Jordan River; these are images of escaping from slavery and finding freedom in the promised land on the other side. In the gospels, crossing the sea can be either a heading home to the promised land, or a heading away on mission. This story doesn't emphasise the direction, because it probably doesn't matter for the main point, but either way, it is an image of the church trying to make progress, trying to get somewhere. And soon they are not making much progress. There is a wild storm at sea. The Israelites were not an ocean loving people. The sea was always considered dangerous. The sea was a place of demonic chaos that could whip up and overwhelm you at any time. A storm at sea is a very frightening image to such people.
http://www.laughingbird.net/ComingWeeks.html

Rembrant, Christ in the storm

Christ and the storm

CHIRICO, Giorgio de