Friday, February 22, 2019

Stones

I wrote this meditation for Visions one Sunday when the lectionary had an awful lot of readings about rocks. I'm posting it again here as I am currently doing the electronic equivalent of clearing out the attic and organising my blog posts more efficiently. 

This meditation is based on lots of incidents where stones appear throughout the bible: The stones that built the temple, David killing Goliath, the stoning of Stephen, the Spiritual Temple mentioned in the first letter of Peter, the many mansions that Jesus tells us are in God's house, the cairn that was built when the Israelites crossed the Jordan while God held back the water, and the stones that Jesus said would cry out if the people stopped shouting "Hosanna" as he rode into Jerusalem. I invite you to choose a stone, pick it up and hold it whilst I read the following script.


What can you do with a stone?

You can do many different things. 
You can throw your stones at a dangerous person
Your definition of dangerous
being someone you disagree with. 
you can beat them till they cry
"Lord Jesus recieve my spirit" 
And they lay their head down and die.

You can build them into a house,
A temple house for God
Carve pomegranates and angels, to decorate the borders. 
And know that God will come and visit 
The structure you have made. 

You can stretch up your head, 
And admire the cornerstone at the top
The one that holds al the others together
And know that someone once rejected it, 
But now it has the highest place. 

You can launch your stone within a slingshot
And kill a warrior and giant
But save a persecuted people. 
But your stone would then be bloody
Even though you saved some lives. 

You can lead a spiritually hungry people 
Through a dry and dusty desert.
And when their mouths are parched with thirst
Strike a stone with your old staff
And watch clean water gushing out.

You can build a cairn, 
To remember a great miracle
Like holding back the jordan river
For travellers to cross

You can build a house with many stones
And know that there is room
For everyone within its walls. 
But that there is just one way in, 
One door that's open wide. 

You could march seven times around stone walls
And watch them tumble down. 
So prisoners can be released
And evil rulers sacked.

You can give it to your child,
When they ask you for some bread. 
But you know deep down you wouldn't 
Because you want them to eat well
And grow up beautiful and strong. 

You can put your ear next to your stone. 
And listen for its song. 
Knowing that if we stopped our praises
It would cry hosanna to the king. 

Your stone can kill, your stone can build, 
Your stone might sing, or might gush water.
The choice is yours. 
What do you most want
To do with your stone?

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