Held

From “Little Gidding (No.4 of the Four Quartets)” by T.S. Eliot

IV

The dove descending breaks the air
With flame of incandescent terror
Of which the tongues declare
The one discharge from sin and error.
The only hope, or else despair
Lies in the choice of pyre of pyre—
To be redeemed from fire by fire.

Who then devised the torment? Love.
Love is the unfamiliar Name
Behind the hands that wove
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.

—–

That was literally breathtaking, for at least a couple of seconds. “we only live, only suspire, consumed by either fire or fire.”

At the OCF Good Friday Service yesterday, the speaker Michael Ross-Watson spoke on forgiveness and following Christ, from what has to be the passage I’ve heard preached on the most times to date. I love the Bible. And what joy! One more friend now a brother, and how the heavenly voices of the angels must be rejoicing! And the songs we sang were wonderful- O to see the dawn, Lost in wonder, and this!

Your light broke through my night
Restored exceeding joy
Your grace fell like the rain
And made this desert live

You have turned my mourning into dancing
You have turned my sorrow into joy

Your hand lifted me up
I stand on higher ground
Your praise rose in my heart
And made this valley sing

This is how we overcome
This is how we overcome

You have turned (spin around spin around) my mourning into dancing! yeah!!