Haiku of insecure faith
Lord, increase our faith.
Why do you make this request?
You have all you need.
A mustard seed faith
would see you directing trees
and they would obey!
What a metaphor
for faith that is sufficient;
the uprooted tree!
Hail mulberry tree!
Generous red stickiness
and messy fingers.
You have faith enough
to tread discipleship’s path;
put it to good use.
Being uprooted,
with red mulberry tree faith
and sticky fingers.
© Ken Rookes 2016
Vigorous broad bean
growing tall, towards the sky;
someone let Jack know.
Recycled fences
divide earnest allotments,
uniting people.
Weeds the enemy,
compost and mulch our friends;
here is abundance.
A break from the rain;
the bees are out and about.
Fertility’s kiss.
Delicate blossom
or coarse white broad bean flower;
the bee doesn’t care.
Humble silverbeet
claims its garden corner place
and shines from the sun.
© Ken Rookes 2016
Haiku for closed eyes.
Poor man Lazarus,
by the gate, covered with sores;
we walk right past him.
The unnamed rich man,
dressed in purple, fine linen,
feasting ev’ry day.
Discarded food scraps
do not reach the rich man’s gate
or the beggar there.
Empathy fails us.
Please don’t disturb our comfort.
Make the beggars leave.
Death comes to us all.
Rich or poor, it matters not;
was your life worthwhile?
Where are your riches;
From where will your comfort come
when your life has passed?
Send me Lazarus,
or let him warn my brothers
that they might be saved.
That’s not how it works.
Let them listen to Moses,
and the prophets too
We’d rather not know.
Even when it’s God who speaks,
we do not listen.
© Ken Rookes 2016
Enthusiastically embracing capitalist principles
of wealth, greed, and maximum personal benefit,
together with the dodgy ethics that serve them;
the manager in the story was a little less than honest,
using his master’s money to fund his exorbitant lifestyle.
He heard that the day of accounting was due,
and realised that the caper was up.
He proved as cunning as he was corrupt,
dishing out favours at his master’s expense,
so that he might call them in later
when he no longer had a job.
Not strong enough to dig,
too proud to beg;
and very clever.
The master,
forced to acknowledge the shrewdness of the scheme,
was presumably rich enough to see the funny side.
With grudging admiration
he allows his shady steward to get away with it.
We also manage to get away with it,
whispering with relief beneath our breath:
That was close!
© Ken Rookes 2016
Haiku of welcome and celebration
He welcomes sinners,
this fellow, and eats with them.
He must be a fraud.
As was Jesus’ wont,
he told them all a story;
driving home his point.
Of his hundred sheep
the shepherd finds one missing,
goes to search for it.
A second story:
a woman loses a coin,
searches high and low.
When the lost are found
there is a great rejoicing;
also in heaven.
The small and the lost,
these, too, are valued by God;
and much loved also.
© Ken Rookes 2016
Haiku for intending acolytes.
Large crowds of people
travelled with the carpenter;
learning to follow.
Some went with Jesus
for curiosity’s sake,
were yet to commit.
Jesus showed the way,
putting his life on the line
for love and justice.
Carrying the cross.
Try to guess what that might mean.
Will I qualify?
It’s a costly thing,
the discipleship journey;
look where you’re going.
Building a tower
or going into battle:
know what you’re up for.
What will be the cost,
will you have enough to win?
Finish what you start.
Jesus calls us all.
Love’s costly work is waiting;
Come with me, he says.
© Ken Rookes 2016
Places of honour
are kept for the distinguished;
take the humble chair.
Maybe you’ll be asked
to come to a higher seat;
but then, maybe not.
Better to be known
for grace and humility,
and to be content.
Hospitality
when you expect a return
does not count for much.
When giving banquets
invite the poor, the needy;
they can’t return it.
Generosity
when it cannot be repaid
is tested and true.
Jesus lived it well;
his life, generous with love
and humility.
© Ken Rookes 2016
