Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Climb

Steve Garnass-Holmes

He was trying to see who Jesus was,
           but on account of the crowd he could not,
           because he was short in stature.
           So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him.
                           —Luke 19.3-4

Would I climb a tree to see Jesus?
Would I make a fool of myself to meet God?
Embarrass myself, risk humiliation?
(You’re not really in love till you’ve embarrassed yourself.)
What would I dare, or not dare?
What would I risk to experience the Holy?
Am I ready for people to talk behind my back?
To give away a lot of money?
To allow Jesus to invite himself in, to invade my life,
when I definitely have not cleaned lately?
To commit to a loony scheme
that with Jesus could definitely get out of control?
Or do I slip back into the murmuring crowd,
all happy to consume me?

God, give me the faith to be gutsy for Jesus.
To be crazy for you, and let others call me so.
To counter the crowd, all those looming opinions
around me and inside me.
To follow a voice no one else believes in.
To be uncool for you.
God, give me the lovesick guts
to climb the fool tree.