“Culture is not a territory to be won or lost, but… a garden to be cultivated.”
— Makoto Fujimura
The hugs we give our kids, the prayers we pray;
the ways we serve our parents, spouses, friends;
the sins forgiven, wealth we give away;
the strangers whom we welcome, ways we bend;
the paintings, poems, stories, songs we play;
the time spent listening, the words unsaid—
the mundane faithful acts of each new day,
though sown unseen, produce a garden bed.
You said this world would hate us, wage a war
against your love—and yet you send us forth
as farmers against fortresses: to tend
this fallen garden that you seek to mend.
We know not how your kingdom comes—but sow
in hope that roots and leaves and fruit will grow.
The featured image is courtesy of Aaron Burden. We are grateful for Aaron’s keen eye, his skill, his faithful service to the Lord, and his generosity to all.
Michael Stalcup is, before anything else, an adopted child of God. He continually marvels at God’s grace in his life and the good works that God has prepared and surprised him with. Currently, he serves overseas as a missionary in Bangkok, Thailand and writes poetry in his free time—neither of which he could have imagined himself doing years ago. Michael lives with his wife Christie and their three young “third-culture” kids who will take a bowl of egg noodles over a sandwich any day. He is currently working on his first book of poetry and hopes to play his part in gathering and supporting other artist Christians in Bangkok and beyond. Soli Deo Gloria.
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A Field Guide to Cultivating ~ Essentials to Cultivating a Whole Life, Rooted in Christ, and Flourishing in Fellowship
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Beautiful, rich words and imagery of a Kingdom not made by hands, yet lived out in the details of our lives. I will read this again and again, remembering the beauty God has invited us to receive and give away. Thank you Michael.
Thank you for your kind words, Amy. I am so glad this poem blessed you, and grateful to have met you this month in Spirit & Scribe. Blessings!