And we, who have been first, will be the last
This is the third in the sequence of seven sonnets on the Lord’s Prayer which I am posting this week as part of the church Of England’s Thy Kingdom Comeweek of prayer leading up to Pentecost. The Sonnets will be published together in my new book Parable and Paradox at the end of this month. I am grateful to Philippa Pearson for choosing the images that accompany this series.
As always you can hear me read the poem by clicking on the title or the ‘Play’ button.
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be done
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth
Can we imagine what we’re asking for?
When all we know and all we think we’re worth
As vanity might vanish, disappear,
Fading before the splendours you reveal:
The beggars crowned with glory, all the meek
Exalted even as the mighty fall,
And everywhere the triumph of the weak.
And we, who have been first, will be the last
And queue for mercy like the refugees
Whom only moments earlier we passed
By on the other side. For now the seas
That separated are no more. The Sun
Is risen like justice, and his will is done.
