This piece is called The Love of God.
I wrote it in my mid to late teens after praying quite a long time.
If you are listening to this then it is my sincere hope that you can take what is good for you and leave whatever isn't.
The Love of God.
The Virgin will be pregnant.
She will have a son and she will name him Emmanuel.
A child has been born to us.
God has given a son to us.
He will be responsible for leading the people.
His name will be wonderful counsel,
A powerful God,
Father who lives forever,
Prince of Peace.
The King will be glad to obey the Lord.
He will not judge by the way things look or decide by what he hears.
Goodness and fairness will give him strength like a belt around his waist.
He stands there,
Wind whipping about him,
Blowing his hair back from his face.
He looks upon the land before him,
The stars beginning to show themselves with the setting of the sun.
He feels so alive now.
He tries to look to what he knows must come but there,
A distant star distracts him and instead he remembers.
As a boy he played with his peers,
Learnt to work with wood,
But as a boy he knew that he must learn his father's way and in so doing taught the teachers.
He became a man and took his first step upon the path his father had laid out for him.
It was not easy.
It had never been easy.
It would never be easy.
This he knew from the start but somehow hoped that there could be a different way.
He threw his hands above his head and moaned and sobbed and he dropped to his knees where his breath came in shudders and he whispered,
He whispered one word,
Why?
He rocked forward and clasped his hands together.
Bowing his head he began to pray.
He tried to focus his thoughts on what was to come but instead he remembered.
He remembered his life.
He remembered his mother with her warm smile,
Her loving embrace,
The way she made him laugh whenever he was sad,
Her complete belief in him as God's son.
He remembered the man who took him in and called him son.
His gruff half-smile,
His calloused hands,
The way that man held himself with a certain pride and dignity,
Never quite able to completely let go of his stern manner and sensible habits in front of his own children,
Let alone a firstborn,
Let alone Jesus.
His face wearing the same kind of expression daily but his eyes speaking volumes,
His eyes holding such kindness,
Such love.
A man with simple dreams,
Anything but simple.
Jesus tried to think of the death he had yet to face.
Instead he thought of his birth,
A space filled with animals,
A dank smell in the air from damp hay,
Every door shut and yet a small breeze finding its way in,
And the animals,
Wary of people but drawn to a tiny baby.
And then the shepherds came,
Adding a small lamb.
The wise man followed,
Bringing gifts.
His life had been prophesied and had touched all of these men even before it had begun.
Jesus' mouth twisted into a wry smile as he thought that even then there had been a reference to his death.
Calm now,
He looked up into the sky and the blackness beyond.
My God,
My God,
Have I not served you well?
Have I not suffered?
Have I ever sinned?
Why must I die in such a way?
There was no answer because he already knew it.
That was just a reflection of his sorrow,
Of his grief,
His pain and something else.
As he looked for it the more obvious it became.
Love.
Such a simple little word,
With as many meanings as the facets of a diamond.
Love.
The feeling overwhelmed him,
Comforted him,
It washed away the tears that he hadn't realised were coursing down his face.
Within all this suffering and pain there was a very real purpose,
Driven by hope entered through faith,
Carried out through trust.
His death would be the start of life eternal.
It would inspire joy and hope in others,
That would lead to faith and deliverance.
The Holy Spirit would come down after him and be poured into the people,
And their thirst would at last be sated.
He would rise up to heaven and join his father where he would be seated at God's right hand.
His birth,
Life and death would serve as an example of love to others,
And all so that we might have eternal life.
From the beginning to end this was,
Is,
The plan.
Jesus looked up.
It was late into the night now.
An owl landed nearby,
Its silent flight normally marking it a dangerous predator.
But not tonight.
Tonight it would not hunt.
And so it just sat there,
Near the man.
Strange.
Normally it stayed away from men.
But this man was different.
Peace,
Comfort,
Understanding,
And love.
Always love.
The man stood up.
I will die soon,
He thought,
But I will live forever.
I will be humiliated.
I will be betrayed.
But oh my God,
For all of this I will be forever remembered.
I will be forever loved.
What can I do then but to give my love,
Your love,
In return?
Through this sacrifice,
A chance of them.
Through this sacrifice,
Eternity.
Through this sacrifice,
Life.
Through this sacrifice,
Love.
