In the darkness

Haiku of enquiry

Nicodemus comes

to see him, in the darkness,

hiding his questions.

Own your questions, Nic!

Don’t worry what others think;

reach out for the truth.

This man called Jesus,

is he sent from the Father?

Let’s see what he says.

You must be reborn!

What mystery he utters:

how can these things be?

If you would enter

the kingdom, you must come through

water and Spirit.

From the things of earth

to the realm of the heavens,

I speak of these things.

Through the Spirit we

rise beyond the world’s limits

to the realm of God.

Ah, teacher of law,

you must understand these things;

you will find life here.

.

For love Jesus comes,

bringing God’s word of grace, hope,

and life from above.

© Ken Rookes 2021

Late in the ev'ning

Haiku of enquiry.

Late in the ev’ning,

when polite folk are sleeping,

Nicodemus comes.

Why is he hiding,

what secret does he conceal

in the dark of night?

What doubts are harboured,

to be kept from his colleagues,

lest they heap their scorn?

Value your doubting,

Nicodemus: your questions

are embraced by God.

Clasp the mystery,

fear not the uncertainty.

Doubt boldly, with faith!

Birthed in the waters

and through the Spirit as well;

enter God’s kingdom!

Through love you are born,

in love the Son comes to you.

It’s all about love!

Eternal the life

that is shaped by the Spirit;

this is salvation!

© Ken Rookes 2020

Entering the Kingdom

Haiku of the Spirit

Nic the Pharisee

worthy leader of the Jews,

slipped away one night.

Locating Jesus

he pressed him with his questions.

Tell me what it means.

Truly I tell you

if you would see God’s kingdom,

you must be reborn

How can these things be?

Can one return to the womb,

to be born once more?

It’s a Spirit thing.

The flesh is not important;

true life comes from God.

Unconstrained, the wind

unseen blows where it chooses;

so, too, the Spirit.

Earthly things confound!

When I speak things heavenly

how will you believe?

For the sake of love

God’s only Son lived with us

that we might know life.

He came among us

not to judge or to condemn

but to give us hope.

© Ken Rookes 2018

Hiding in the night

Haiku for the timid but curious.

Hiding in the night,

Nicodemus comes, seeking

answers from Jesus.

We have been impressed

by the things you've said and done;

God must be with you.

Truly I tell you,

if you would see the kingdom

you must be born anew.

Many years have passed

since I emerged from the womb;

can I repeat this?

Flesh gives birth to flesh.

You are spirit; from Spirit

your true life will come.

The Spirit-wind blows,

moving swift with mystery.

Be born of Spirit

You speak of wonders,

teacher. I don't understand;

how can these things be?

Listen to my words

and receive them, they are life.

Lift your eyes, and see.

© Ken Rookes 2017

How can these things be?

 

Mysteries and intimations;

things unseen,
unknown and unspoken.
The merest flicker of light
shining in darkness;
gleaming life amidst earth’s dust,
passing beyond birth’s waters
into realms of the spirit.
Places of healing, hope,
regions of truth;
mysteries.
 
The story-teller from provinces,
famous for his riddles
and tales with unexpected endings,
spoke often of wonders,
things half glimpsed among the shadows,
fleeting and never quite grasped.
No, you can’t grab hold of the wind.
His erudite nocturnal visitor
can only shake his head
and mumble unanswerable questions;
How can these things be?
 
The mysteries are many,
deep, disturbing and full of wonder:
life, labelled eternal,
generous love, called grace,
discipleship of the passionate kind,
and costly sacrifice.
 

 

 

© Ken Rookes 2015

A teacher come from God

 

A teacher come from God;
that’s what we all need.
Recognising him or her
might be the challenge, though;
and which God?
Seriously, though,
we’ve had more than a few
across the millennia; prophets, messiahs,
gurus and the like,
not to mention all the mystics,
visionaries and spiritual guides
who we didn’t even notice at the time
or dismissed as fanatics.
In John’s classic nocturnal encounter
Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel,
affirms the educational credentials
of one called Jesus.
A teacher come from God:
speaking to remind us about generosity,
justice, grace and truth, (whatever that is),
and of living with courage;
recklessly, passionately and outrageously.
Fully alive, for the sake of love,
the children, and the planet.

© Ken Rookes 2014

Nicodemus

Late at night we become emboldened

and allow deep-within doubts

to glimpse, as it were,

the light of day.

So the teacher of Israel comes

in darkness to talk with the man

whose words glimmer

like a lake beneath a full moon.

A staccato celebration of questions,

a shimmer of provocations,

gleaming surprises,

and glistening affirmations;

of sparkling water, rushing wind,

and life.

©Ken Rookes