Six Key Words.
Dennis Carson has written this piece selecting six key words which might
capture the essence of the life, ministry and redeeming purpose of the
Son of God.
stable son cross rise star lamb
These words are the “heroes” of a Sestina.
The full text is found by clicking Comment
Sestina for Easter.
Shepherds come in the night and find a stable
near an inn. They kneel in honour of this Son
of Mary. And wealthy eastern sages cross
deserts, pursuing in the heavens the rise
of a strangely bright, transforming star
that foretells a king, perhaps a Paschal lamb.
Then, after sanctuary in Egypt, the lamb
comes home to Nazareth and childhood in a stable
family, unaware of the import of the star
that marked his destiny os a carpenter’s son
soon to be baptised, and from Jordon’s waters rise
to a high priesthood and the agony of a cross.
Tested, by temptations in the wilderness, to cross
the divide that separates the unblemished lamb
from the wolves and the heady enticements that rise
from worldly power and influence. Others, less stable
in their resolve, stumble and fall. Yet this son
of God remains obedient, refusing the star
billing offered by the tempter, declining the star
status before the crowd. He overcomes this cross
examination and begins a ministry that confirms son–
ship with the Father. Crowds flock to this humble lamb
of God. Disciples, trusting him, become stable
companions, transfixed by miracles that give rise
to speculation that the gentle Nazarene might rise
to liberate the Jewish nation; like a star
destined to lead rebellion. Yet a donkey from a stable
bears him to Jerusalem, betrayal , arrest and cross
questioning by priests and Pharisees. Thus the lamb,
despised, rejected, soon to be flogged, becomes the Son
of man, the all sufficient sacrifice of the Son
of God. Pierced with nails, crucified; then to rise
from the tomb as Lord of all, the Paschal lamb
who redeems, restores, forgives; who shines like the star
of Bethlehem that foretold his kingship, passion and cross;
and led the first believers to the manger in a stable.
Thus the sacrificed Paschal lamb honours his natal star
as God’s only begotten Son, the saviour born to rise
from death on a cross: the infant king born in a stable.
Dennis Carson writes:
In preparing this piece I tried to select six key words which might
capture the essence of the life, ministry and redeeming purpose of the
Son of God. The key words I chose were
stable son cross rise star lamb
The challenge for me was to use these words as the “heroes” of a
Sestina. This is a disciplined poetic form consisting of a continuous
narrative laid out in six verses, each of which has six lines. The six key
words appear as the end words of the six lines of the first verse, and are
reused in a set pattern as the end words in each succeeding verse. Then
the final objective is to use all six key words as the backbone of a
concentrated three line summary.
“Sestina for Easter” is the outcome of my effort. I hope that the
strict format might encourage readers to contemplate the meaning of the
text.
Denis Carson