Shine, Saint, Shine!

As the US, yea the world, darkens

(most any category you care to delineate) Light becomes more attractive. The devil would like us smother in gloom. Don’t.

Christians are not blind optimists, we can see the smog, we can sense the impending “doom” but we’ve chosen to follow the Light of Christ & in so doing we ourselves become little lights. S

top (as much as lies within you) reminding yourself & others about obvious darkness. A nearly hopeless world NEEDS the Light as never before.

Shine, Saint, Shine!

– eab, 2/3/16

Read Full Post »

Susan Warner – death, Mar. 17, 1885

“Jesus Bids Us Shine”  (1868)

 

Jesus bids us shine
With a pure, clear light,
Like a little candle
Burning in the night.
In this world of darkness
So let us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

 

Jesus bids us shine,
First of all for Him;
Well He sees and knows it,
If our light grows dim.
He looks down from Heaven
To see us shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

 

Jesus bids us shine,
Then, for all around;
Many kinds of darkness
In the world are found—
Sin and want and sorrow;
So we must shine—
You in your small corner,
And I in mine.

 

Susan Bogert Warner died this date (3/17/1885) in Highland Falls, NY.  She held Bible classes for cadets at West Point.  She (and her sister Anna) were daughters of Henry Warner a New York lawyer who was radically hurt by the 1837 depression.  Susan is buried at the Unit­ed States Mil­i­ta­ry Acad­e­my, West Point.  

Read Full Post »

John Donne – birth, Jan 24, 1573 *

Batter my heart, three-person’d God, for you
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town to’another due,
Labor to’admit you, but oh, to no end;
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly’I love you, and would be lov’d fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy;
Divorce me,’untie or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you’enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

John Donne was born this date (1/24/1573 – * date is in dispute) in London.  Though his family was Roman Catholic he converted to the Church of England.

Read Full Post »