Thursday, January 29, 2009

Stephen to Lazarus

A few days ago, a good friend and I were discussing a person who favoured praying for dead people to be raised. Being the experienced ministers we are, we were, naturally, befuddled. Anyway, strangely enough I then happened to read this from Lewis:

Stephen to Lazarus
But was I the first martyr, who
Gave up no more than life, while you
Already free among the dead,
Your rags stripped off, your fetters shed,
Surrendered what all other men
Irrevocably keep, and when
Your bttered ship at anchor lay
Seemingly safe in the dark bay
No ripple stirs, obediently
Put out a second time to sea
Well knowing that your death (in vain
died once) must all be died again?

Poems, CS Lewis, p125

1 comment:

Denise L Shields said...

I found this recently as I prayerfully asked the Father why Jesus would have wept. This was the day after my mother-n-law passed and I wanted to comfort my husband. At first I took it and have always taken it to mean He felt compassion for Mary and Martha Not wept because of their lack of faith but with them and to show us, as He had shown us to pray, how to grieve properly...BUT then I found this poem. WOW! I am undone at my Saviour's compassion for His friend in having to do twice what we are sooo scared to do once.