Pages

On not using the gift against the Giver

I've been lately helped a lot by reading John Donne's poetry. Here's an insightful prayer for deliverance from using God's gifts (our senses, plenty, and piety) for selfish and idolatrous ends.

When senses, which Thy soldiers are,
We arm against Thee, and they fight for sin ;
When want, sent but to tame, doth war,
And work despair a breach to enter in ;
When plenty, God's image, and seal,
Makes us idolatrous,
And love it, not him, whom it should reveal ;
When we are moved to seem religious
Only to vent wit ; Lord, deliver us.

This is from John Donne's A Litany.

No comments:

Post a Comment