Forever Simple

But why Lord?

"For you, you see...that for you

Not for me, but for you

That it might be

Simple

For you, simple

Forever simple

You and I, together forever

Side by side

Forever simple

Trusting, easy, intimate

Peaceful, life-giving, singular

Forever...simple"

Stephen Pursell, 12/02/02

It's the plan, you see, the plan!

Creation subjected to frustration: the plan

Men bound to disobedience: the plan

My sacrifice foreknown : the plan..."

"I know, I know,...let it be...

But Lord!

I had to learn, yes , to learn..."

It had to be, I could not have foreseen it

It was the only way

"The brokenness, the brokenness...

Forgive me, Lord

That's how...that's how..."

"Shhhh...

But Lord, I...

That they would not receive me?

I made you like me, how would you feel?

I poured out all of myself for them

But only a few wanted me

I'd plead, I'd wept, I'd rebuked

But they would not come

And even they abandoned me in the end

No matter how much I fed or healed or taught

So many refused to come

And that day I was utterly alone

Even my dearest were distant that day..."

It did not matter that I knew it would be so

"Do you understand that when I died

I was deeply hurt and disappointed?

Then he said it, the unfathomable

"Everything spoke to me

Father is everywhere, you know

I am everywhere, we are the same..."

How, Lord, how did you do it?

As was always Our plan..."

There was beauty: I was among them now

A wisdom in a business transaction

A lesson in the stroke of a file

There was meaning in everything

"Deep... it was deep...

More, Lord, more please, what was it like?

They were lost

There were lakes in their eyes..."

They needed me: I could see them

They were empty, they were longing

"Very," he said,"but I loved them...

Was it hard?

I knew it was coming"

They needed, they were hurting

"Heavy...it was heavy...

What was it like, Lord?

"Simple," he said, "simple...

Dusty ground, calloused heels

Wood and tools, water from the well

Strangers in red, iron on their hips"

Did it hurt, Lord?