They named it Babel

Responding to Genesis ch.11

Haiku for a scattering.

A primeval yarn

to explain how languages

divide humankind.

Once we were all one,

one people, language and speech;

so the story goes.

Humankind agreed,

let us build a tower, high

to reach the heavens.

With mortar and clay

bricks fired like stone, the people

began to construct.

How clever we are!

Our name shall surely be great

throughout the whole earth!

God comes down to see

what's going on. Takes one look,

expresses alarm.

Behold how clever

these people are, now nothing

will be beyond them!

Confounding their speech

becomes the means by which God

institutes limits.

Scattered across earth

with languages that divide;

that's where it went wrong!

They named it Babel.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Stripped, beaten, thrown in jail

Responding to Acts 16: 16-34

Haiku of freedom

The fortune-telling

slave girl made heaps of money

for those who owned her.

The slave girl followed

Paul and Co. These men, she cried,

tell God's salvation.

Annoyed, Paul ordered

the spirit to leave the girl.

It left her at once.

The slave-girl's owners,

were not happy at the loss

of their enterprise.

Paul, Silas, were seized,

dragged before the magistrate;

They disrupt our life!

Attacked by the crowd,

stripped, beaten, thrown into jail;

poor Paul and Silas!

Praying and singing

as the earthquake struck; the doors

opened, chains fell off.

The jailer panicked.

Paul cried out: Don't harm yourself,

we are all still here!

Sirs, what must I do

to be saved! Trust in Jesus,

you and your household.

The guard took them home,

made them welcome, dressed their wounds

and offered them food.

The gathered household

hears the word of love and grace

and all are baptised.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Purple

Responding to Acts 16:9-15

Haiku of witness and welcome.

Paul has a vision:

a Macedonian man

calls, Come and help us.

We booked a passage

to Macedonia. God

wanted us to go!

We had to proclaim

the good news of God's new life.

So we went to them.

There, in Philippi

they went down to the river,

to the place of prayer.

On the Sabbath day,

They met the gathered women,

sharing God's good news.

Lydia, dealer

in purple cloth, heard Paul's words

listened eagerly.

Worshipper of God,

Lydia, asks: Baptise me!

She, and her household.

Lydia urged them:

If you judge me faithful, come,

and stay at my home.

© Ken Rookes 2025

The Gentiles have come to faith

 Responding to Acts 11:1-18

Haiku of new insights

No way! The Gentiles

have come to faith! Was that in

our mission statement?

What goes on, Peter?

Eating with Gentiles? You know

they're uncircumcised!

It's like this, said Pete.

I had a vision; a sheet

of unclean creatures.

A voice spoke to me:

Get up and eat! No way, Lord,

I don't eat unclean.

The voice spoke again:

If I say it's clean, it's clean!

Now do what I say.

It happened three times;

leaving me perplexed, not sure

as to its meaning.

Just then, three men came.

Go with them, said the Spirit.

Thought we'd better go.

The house was Gentile,

but that no longer mattered.

We went inside, preached.

The uncircumcised

heard the gospel and believed;

we didn't plan it!

The Holy Spirit

fell on them, just like on us;

so we baptised them.

The penny has dropped:

God's salvation is for all,

both Jew and Gentile.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Faithful Tabitha

Responding to Acts 9:36-43

Haiku story from the early church

Faithful Tabitha,

also known as Dorcas, cared

for Joppa's needy.

The Joppa faithful

loved disciple Tabitha;

so full of good works.

Tabitha was ill,

and she died. They laid her out

in preparation.

They sent for Peter.

He came at once, was touched by

the widows weeping.

Peter cleared the room,

knelt down and prayed to the Lord.

“Tabitha arise!”

Tabitha opened

her eyes. Peter took her hand;

called in the faithful.

The story was told

throughout Joppa: many came

to believe in God.

©Ken Rookes 2025

Defender of the faith

Reflecting on Acts 9:1-6

Haiku of the blinding light

Faithful Pharisee

Saul, defender of the faith,

was chasing Christians.

Threatening slaughter

against the disciples, he

was out to get them.

Supplied with letters

from the high priest, Saul set out

for Damascus town.

Saul would hunt them down,

men and women, bring them bound

to Jerusalem.

Nearing Damascus,

suddenly a heavenly

light shined upon Saul

He fell to the ground.

A voice spoke: Saul, why are you

persecuting me?

Saul cried: Who are you?

I am Jesus; it is me

that you're attacking.

Saul trembled, Tell me

what to do? In the city

you will receive word.

© Ken Rookes 2025.

Before the Council

Responding to Acts 5:27-32

Haiku of account

Daring to preach, heal,

in the temple; arrested,

and called to account.

Detained apostles

are brought before the council;

We told you to stop!

Look what you have done!

the high priest said in anger;

we told you plainly!

You have been preaching

in Jesus' name, and blaming

us for Jesus' death.

We must obey God

rather than you, or any

other human rule.

God raised up Jesus

after you ordered his death.

God's exalted him!

Through him, forgiveness

comes to Israel, for all

who repent their sins.

We are witnesses,

together with the Spirit;

God's gift to his friends

© Ken Rookes 2025 

But God raised him

Responding to Acts ch.10

Haiku of witness

The ancient witness

from the book of Acts; Peter,

once frightened, speaks out.

God, Peter declares,

does not take sides, all nations

are treated the same.

If you do what's right

God will accept you, listen

to what God's saying.

Jesus came preaching

peace with God, for all nations,

not merely his own.

Anointed by God

and filled with Spirit power,

Jesus came to heal.

We, his witnesses,

were with him in Judea

and Jerusalem.

They put him to death

on the tree, God restored him

day three; we saw him!

Chosen witnesses,

we ate and drank with Jesus

when he rose to life.

Commanded to preach,

we declare, through Jesus' name,

sins are forgiven.

© Ken Rookes 2025

Who finds me guilty

Reflecting on Isaiah 50

Haiku of vindication

I am called to teach,

to bring words to encourage

those who are weary

.

Every morning

God wakes me, opens my ear

to teach me his way.

I listened to God,

I did not rebel or turn

away from the Lord.

Enemies struck me;

I took their blows, accepting

cruel punishment.

They tore at my beard,

I hid not my face from them;

their spitting insults.

I am not disgraced,

I have set my face like flint;

The Lord God helps me.

God vindicates me

and God is near; no one dares

to contend with me!

Who challenges me?

Bring them on! The Lord helps me;

who finds me guilty?

Ken Rookes © 2025

You ain't seen nothing!

Reflecting on Isaiah 43

Haiku of anticipation

The Lord reminds them

of the great and mighty deeds

leading to freedom.

The path through the sea,

the army, the chariots

stranded in the mud.

You ain't seen nothing,

says God; I'm doing something

new. Watch out for it!

In the wilderness

I'm making a way, rivers

flow in the desert.

Wild creatures will sing

my praises; the ostriches

and jackals will drink!

My chosen people

will drink, the people I formed

will declare my praise

© Ken Rookes 2025

From that time on

Reflecting on Joshua Ch. 5

Haiku for a new land

God tells Joshua

that the disgrace of Egypt

has been put away.

They are in Gilgal,

in the land promised by God;

the new era starts.

There, Israel kept

the Passover, recalling

God's deliverance.

On the day after

they ate produce from the land;

unleavened cakes, grain.

The manna ended;

they ate the crops of Canaan

land from that time on.

© Ken Rookes 2025