Give Me Black

Give me black so that I may appreciate white. Give me pain so that I may celebrate joy. Make me a fool and I shall rejoice when I gain wisdom. Let me be wayward so that I may desire discipline. Increase my lust so that I may ultimately hate all that enslaves. Feed me with flesh so that I may turn to the Spirit. Let all that is hidden be laid bare, and then the curse of curiosity will be overcome. Allow me to wade in the filth so that I may yearn for the water that cleanses. May I know the Devil so that I may know the Lord. May I be banished into the wilderness so that I may long for paradise.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Superior Sight

Lord, give me your eyes.
And I shall see beauty that I did not before.
I shall see the truth beneath the lie,
The fear beneath the hatred, and the lust beneath the love.
The sight shall drive away all that lies,
All that perverts, and all that strangles my soul.
Then my arms will reach out not to have and to plunder,
But to give and to bless.
In that embrace lust shall not be.
And my heart freed of the selfish want
Shall give and give forevermore.
And my mind freed from wretched desire
Shall value the act above the reward.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Behold the Work

From a nameless womb
The seed of an unbeliever
Am I who have come to You.
Among thorns did I bloom,
From darkness I came to light,
My dumbness was turned to speech,
When you laid your finger on me.
My stony heart you enfleshed,
My hesitant feet you steadied,
And handed me a message
And a voice to deliver it
To the world you love so much.
So here I am, pliant and ready,
Behold the work of your hands.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Return

Return the rage, return the fire,
Return the madness of the child.
Come back my dream, come back my King,
The early promise come alive.
Speak out my tongue, lash out the Truth,
Nail the the chosen one to the cross.
Blot out the world, dim out its cry,
Draw me deep into your fire.
Come back my Lord, come back my God,
Come back my sweet Jesus Christ.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Truth and the Lie

A million lies will not drown your Truth,
An ocean of derision cannot wash over a drop of your approval.
My Lord, I shall fix my gaze upon you,
I shall watch your eyes and only your eyes.
Let the dogs of hell bark with all the fury of the raging pit,
Let the voice of hatred spew forth its venom,
Let the jealous heart poison my joy,
Let the Devil dance with all his might,
Let the darkness rob the last glimmer of light,
But I shall wait for you, and hold on to your promise.
Heaven and earth may pass,
But you will come, and declare the Truth.
In it I shall reign forever and ever.

- Samuel Godfrey George

Make Something Out Of Nothing

When labour comes to an end,
And effort bears no fruit,
When vigor drains,
And the intellect fails,
When words do not impress
And thoughts do not matter,
When bones begin to ache,
And the heart lies heavy with grief,
When the mind desires silence,
And the man longs for sleep,
You will begin your work
And make something out of nothing.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Humble Truth

Unblessed and unloved child of Man,
What is the purpose of your life?
Diseased and broken, you are shunned by many.
Can one afford to take notice of you without profiting from you?
Can one give to you without expecting a reward in Heaven or on this earth?
Can one give to you without feeling good about oneself?
This world is stunned by the brilliance of Man’s creations,
Precious things consume its attention.
How then can it acknowledge you?
How then can it know that in your ugliness lies divine beauty?
For in your sorry face lie the lineaments of God,
And in your destitute heart glows the Spirit of the Most High.
Precious things consume the attention of the world.
How then can it acknowledge the humble truth that you represent?

-Samuel Godfrey George

Lord, It Is Time To Speak To You

Lord, it is time to speak to you,
It is time to enter into a never-ending conversation with you.
May my speech be silent, may it be simple,
May I pour out my soul, may I not hide the smallest truth.
Let me turn away from all that distracts,
May I not be overwhelmed by the smile, or destroyed by the sneer.
Let all the voices drown; let all the cares be cast away.
May I be lost with you, may I be eternally lost with you.

Lord, I have tasted sweetness, and endured bitterness.
I have glutted on the forbidden fruit in full view of your searching eyes.
I have journeyed into darkness, and returned utterly destroyed.
I have desecrated the temple, and disfigured the one that lives within.
I return to you damaged, knowing that you will undo the damage.
Take hold of me, and be the Father that you are.
I have transgressed enough; now slap me back to my senses.
But no matter what you do, hold me; never let me go.

Speak to me Lord, may my foolish mouth shut up to hear your Truth.
It is your Voice that I long to hear; it is your smile that I desire to see.
It is your censure that will drive me back to my senses.
So rebuke me and strike me with your iron rod,
And then wrap me up in your loving embrace.
Return me to my infancy; return me to my innocence.
May the dreadful past be blotted out, may only the blessed present remain.
May I live the rest of my days in your everlasting embrace,
Speaking to you, and hearing you speak to me.
May our union be never again disturbed; may our love never end.

-Samuel Godfrey George

The Night of Faith

A poem without words,
A life without a soul,
A joy without a smile
Is my life at this moment.
From a parched tongue flows the Living Water,
From an oppressed soul comes the message of liberation,
In darkness glows a compelling Light.

In the din of a thousand questions reigns a terrible silence.
Where have I come? What have I lost?
Is my mind blessed or cursed?
Am I being led by God or the devil?
Who shall possess my soul in the end?
Am I winning or losing? Will I live or die?
Is this madness with purpose?

Why does the Voice not speak?
Why has clarity not prevailed?
Why does the wandering not cease?
When will this recklessness end?
O Lord, I have trodden upon hearts that bleed,
I have destroyed the dreams of love,
Can there be redemption for me?

In your silence I have my answer.
I remember how you blazed across the sky,
And how I pledged my servitude to you.
Years later you came to me again,
And placed your holy hand on my forehead.
And then you descended on me like a dove.
I know who you are; I know what I am.

So I stir from my sleep,
And rise from my darkness,
In the hope that I shall walk into your light some day.
Then the silence will be broken,
The Voice will speak,
And the Spirit will spring forth in joy,
The smile will break out, and the madness will end.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Lord, We Wait

Where are you my Son?
I have been looking for you.
Have you been looking for me?
I look around for you,
But I cannot find you.
Where are you my Son?
My precious one, where are you?

You are a child without a father,
And I am a father without a child.
Are we destined to meet?
Will I ever see your face?
Will I ever speak to you?
Will I ever hear your lips utter the truth
That I long to hear?

Lord, we wait.
A Father waits for his Son;
A Son waits for his Father.
Lord, we wait.

-Samuel Godfrey George

Heaven or Hell

Where can I go but to you?
How can I remain without you?
In your arms, under your wings,
I have forever been even without knowing.
In your embrace I have lain all my life,
Unmindful of your intimate presence.
From head to toe you have kept me secure,
As I carry on this mindless journey,
And live on in reckless folly.
May my remaining days pass in your hands,
May what will be be according to your will.
Heaven or hell, may these eyes close in rest,
Knowing that you are here.

-Samuel Godfrey George