the Arrival_ 3

Unfinished Story

Tell me a big story 
Arcing across millennia 
Weaving through countless lives and landscapes 
Climates and cultures; 
Let it unfold with drama and intrigue, 
Tell me of bravery and heroic exploits, 
Friendship and betrayal, 
Humanity and injustice. 
Make it a history with full disclosure, 
A sweeping narrative of a garden lost 
And a journey of re-discovery.

But speak too of ordinary lives, 
So much more than extras  
In the developing drama: 
Holy and hidden.  
Of countless faithful deeds and unseen kindnesses;  
Heart-stirring they bear the maker’s mark 
And play their part in disarming a greater darkness.

In the telling, pause at a crucial moment, 
As the future rests tenderly in the hands  
Of a teenage girl who answers yes, 
Her willing surrender the most decisive of moments. 
Such wholehearted humility providing  
A threshold moment like no other: 
God  
With  
Us.

And I choose to linger in this pause, 
To wait as an act of defiance,   
To rebel against hurry, 
To be formed by ancient wisdom 
Rooted in this unfinished story of God.

Chris Matthews