Hyssop and Honey
Pure
Hope Curran
The spots sank deep
Skin scratched to scabs
In the striving to be
Pure
We went out to the field
Finding hyssop
Fresh honey
The river stream ritual,
To be clean
To be pure
Lavender amidst fresh green
The spots and blemishes fully seen
As snow began to fall
As honey
Wild
Plops like rain
Our prayers for purity
Covered our stains and insecurity
Pure
No longer mixed with mud
Radiant
No longer charcoal ash
Clean
Ready to be recreated
The page blank
Hyssop healing
Honey dripping
To be pure
Pasteurized and pleasing
Fragrant perfume
Spritzed out with time
To the fields we go
Filled with hope
To be made
Pure.
A Christmas tree spray painted gold, found in March sitting in a fountain in the heart of Paris. White rose petals on creaky apartment floorboards, sunshine flooding in. The reflection of angels in ancient palace mirrors, vessels of flame light. Broken windshields amidst fall leaves, mushy with rain. The cradled body of a similar soul, lying it a pit overlooking the ocean after a long hike uphill in England. These images are traced on my mind through memory, pictures of brokenness and beauty.
I was asked to share the preach at my church "La Cité" in Paris this past weekend on Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". In preparing I became overwhelmed and embarrassed by the amount of grace God has poured on my unclean heart. I began to see the stains of my striving, pride, judgment, gluttony, greed and sin. I began to ask "Lord what is the fruit of my life??". I am in the process of redemption. I am in the process of seeing my own brokenness and experiencing the sweetness of truth. I am forgiven, clean, scrubbed up and whole through Jesus: the only human to live a life of complete purity. I need a new prescription to see God clearly. I need vision to give purpose to my pain. I need someone to save me. Below is the talk I gave (excuse the awkward jokes and silly things) and I pray it might bless YOU. Please feel free to respond or reach out if you have any questions or would like to know about my journey to seeing God.