STROKING THE DOVE
The band played out their hearts Impassioned loud and long Inviting and invoking God To be present in the song.
The pattern long established And followed religiously Several loud and fast To get us in Then several much slower To lay the platform for God’s entering.
But try as I might I found it hard to sense Him.
Then after what seemed an age Song after song and sounding gong The band began to leave the stage And settle with the people long forgotten To some applause and accolades Perhaps a good time for the offering to be taken.
Then gradually I heard a sound come floating on the stifled air A little child had found an instrument that she could blow A harmonica to make a sound So gentle So beautiful So peaceful She blew in single notes A tuneless offering Yet in the isolation of the sound A Single voice so haunting.
I stood before the people And finger to my lips I motioned for them to be still To stop and listen to the sound Without giving attention To the child
Full minutes passed as she played note after note As she stroked the dove Gently being Sensitively breathing In her own world of exploring.
And in these moments Holy Spirit flew God walked among us To show us through the child If we have ears to hear And eyes to see Simplicity Sensitivity Anonymity.
Non-complexity And absence of sophisticated artistry Will often bring Him close
And now will we begin to see Harmonicas given to the team? To replicate what they had seen All sense and sensitivity Lost As Father smiles His smile of love As we try to catch And stroke the dove.
John Nuttall
I recommend that you look at John's website which is here.