Have you ever experienced a moment where you see life as it should be? Tune in all week to hear Joni share some of her favorite poetry.
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and I love good poetry.
And the older I get, the more I seem to enjoy it. And just a week or so ago I came across a collection of poems that included this one called “The Bright Field” by R.S. Thomas. It was a simple poem; actually, it was more prose than poetry, but man, it struck a chord, like a tuning fork. And that’s why I wanted to share it with you today because – I don’t know – maybe you’ll feel the same. Again, it’s entitled “The Bright Field” by R.S. Thomas, and he says…
I have seen the sun break through
to illuminate a small field
for a while, and gone my way
and forgotten it. But that was the pearl
of great price, the one field that had
treasure in it. I realize now
that I must give all… I have
to possess it. Life is not hurrying
on to a receding future, nor hankering after
an imagined past. It is the turning
aside like Moses to the miracle
of the lit bush, to a brightness
that seemed as transitory as your youth
once, but is the eternity that awaits you.
I love that because it speaks about those shining moments in life – moments of beauty and inspiration – where we encounter, almost in passing, something that feels like an epiphany. A moment when we see life as it should be. And we’ve all had it happen. We’ve all seen the way the sun breaks through a dark sky to suddenly illuminate a small field, just for a moment. And in that instant, as we’re walking by, or driving, or bicycling by, our eyes catch the rays of the sun highlighting a bright patch of color and flowers, green and gold. It’s a flash of glory, enthralling and exciting us with its beauty and then, it’s gone. It’s disappeared. But we hold that moment in our hearts, don’t we? Because its beauty has touched something deep in our souls that lifted us to some higher plane, like seeing the vestibule of heaven.
I know it’s happened to you. Maybe on a blustery autumn day when suddenly a gust of wind swirls the leaves in front of you, like they’re asking for you to dance with them; or you’re hiking up a path, and you round the bend, and suddenly the mist parts and, just for a moment, you see a grand and glorious vista spreading out before you! It’s like you witnessed something rare and beautiful that made you feel alive and lifted you into some celestial realm. I recall once when I was a teenager, riding horseback on a summer afternoon when the hills were green, the sky was this dark, deep blue, and huge white thunderheads loomed over the horizon. It took my breath away; it was a scene that made me feel so alive, like I was connected to life and to the Lord. And why not? The earth is the Lord’s, the Bible says, and why wouldn’t he capture our hearts with his beautiful creation? The trees and the fields clap their hands; the mountains and the hills are his also. All of creation sings of God’s glory; it has the stamp of God’s fingerprints all over it.
And I guess that’s what the author of this poem “The Bright Field” is telling us: that when those rare and wonderful connections occur; when we are overcome by the beauty and glory of God, call it out. Call it out for what it is: it is God’s handprint, and we are to carry it in our hearts – those treasured moments when the light breaks through. You know what, friend? Thanks so much for letting me share my heart with you today, and feel free to share this program with your friends. And I look forward to offering you another poem the next time we meet.
© Joni and Friends