Some of us wrote pieces of poetry and prose with an emphasis on ‘lament over Wellington’, asking God to revive our town and to stir us to action. Here are the last few:
Newspaper Article Lament
They waited hours longer, warned the worst is still to come. The strain and the pressure on those involved is no secret. Lord we hope for a solution, we pray you respond to the cry of this area. As we turn to you as our first priority we hope for safety and a decision that brings your community together.
by K
Lament and Hope
The land is parched, starved for too long.
Shards of history reaching through ages
Grasping for remembrance
And recognition.
So much is gone, so much mourned for,
So many tears shed, washing the dull streets
In a sheen of agony.
You see it all, every tear, and you weep with this land, oh God.
We cry out to you now,
Come and heal us. Come and bind wounds,
Come and transform despair to glorious hope.
Your cross is a banner, a flag flying high,
A light streaming through thick, gloopy darkness,
Only you can shatter the chains that hold this place captive.
We see glimmers, oh God, glimpses of your sparkling hope.
We pray for places and projects,
For pavements and for people.
Will you come and transform despair to glorious hope?
As we watch
We see signs of sunrise
Streaks of colour painting the sky.
The land is not hopeless,
The land is not lost.
You are here. You’ve always been here. So come, Lord Jesus.
Come and transform despair to glorious hope.
by L
Flickers of Hope
O God, what are you doing in our town?
You have taken away shops and businesses.
Our streets are notoriously unsafe now.
Even your people, those who praise your name,
Are less than in the past.
We feel resigned to its demise,
Hopeless to redress the despair.
Yet we see your Holy Spirit at work,
Kindling the flickers of hope.
Raising up new life, new plans, new dreams.
The working together by people of good will.
Especially in your church we see
The wind of your Spirit
Blowing through our apathy,
Extending our vision.
Show us the chaff that needs throwing out.
Reveal to us the good grain and show us
How to nourish it.
For we trust in you, our Lord and our God.
by H