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The early Christians' claim bewildered Saul (FOOLISH WISDOM)

FOOLISH WISDOM

The early Christians' claim bewildered Saul:
how could their dead messiah be from God?
He journeyed out, for holy honour galled,
to quash their claim with persecution's rod.

Ambushed by grace, encountering the Christ,
the hunter at the mercy of his prey,
Saul left the wisdom of the learned wise
to live and die a fool for Jesus' sake.

"Receive your sight" brave Ananias prayed,
and Paul saw deep into the way of Christ:
the foolish wisdom that his life portrayed,
his steadfast faithfulness with death its price.

Christ was on earth the flesh and blood of grace
who for love entered and for love explored
the furthest reaches of our deep disgrace
so we through him, in him could be restored.

Christ's body showed the new creation's dawn
will quash the stranglehold of death and pain;
and Paul saw here the template for Christ's own:
for us to live is Christ, to die is gain.

Now we in Christ are flesh and blood of grace,
the living icons of what God can do;
grant us we pray, for every time and place
the foolish wisdom that brings Christ to view.

Jim McPherson

CCL# 7075867