Faith

(A poem)

A little-known painting of Jesus praying, as the Man of Sorrows of Isaiah 53, by Swiss artist Eugène Burnard (c.1898).

Faith

Faith is most tested when you have barely a button of it
In this waking anguish I ask for no pity
But simply a thread to fasten this faith
To the breast of a Being who calls me by name
And says no more but wait
So I wait with my button and thread
And the swelling chest of a divine invisible promise
To whom I assent with no certainty
For I have none left
But I’m not asked to give
More than I have
My blue button of faith
Will be enough
The Lord is making me a fine coat
The only call now is to be in my body
So there will be someone living there when it comes time to get dressed

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The painting above was sent to me as a photo by my friend Joan Taylor who had recently witnessed it herself in person at Geneva’s Museum of Art and History. She wrote some words about what the painting evoked in her and I found them so moving and apt for todays poem about faith and grief so I thought I’d share them here with you.

“If ever there was an image of Jesus that speaks to our times it is surely this one. There is Jesus, on his knees, sadly praying to his Father, aware that the ignorant, self-seeking, corrupt world would even end up killing him, rejecting his message of mercy and forgiveness. He was not the macho warrior King people were expecting. His was a message of peace and community. Burnard sums up Jesus’ pure simplicity by having him dressed in one plain mantle, with just a little sewn edging at his neck. Jesus is deeply, spiritually absorbed, and unselfconscious. There is this feeling of quiet, and yet focus, and real sorrow. It is as if we have just walked in on him, at a completely private moment. I wanted to say, I was so very sorry.”