The Joyful King
I wrote this 3 years ago when I was a college junior studying in Rome. In March, our whole class took a long weekend trip to Assisi where we were immediately plunged into the joyful, radiant silence of that little hillside town. A semi-silent retreat was given by a priest there and I spent 3 days during the retreat, walking and sitting and soaking up the wonder around me. The piece below is relatively unedited, the words are the ones that flowed up from my soul and onto the paper. To this day, I cannot imagine Heaven without thinking of Assisi. Here I felt that the essence of Jesus was Joy.
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"What kind of King is Jesus? What is His Kingdom like?"
Here, in this place of peace and holiness, romance and simplicity, the image of a beautiful king comes easily to my mind.
And I see a king whose coming was fortold of old. All the earth struggled in darkness and turmoil. The winters were long and cold, the flowers faded and the mountains glowered.
Yet, while the King tarries, all is not lost. What a secret kingdom this King has! Silent and small, like a seed it grows. And yet, people laugh with secret delighted joy to see its beautiful branches reaching out to intwine the world. Where the kingdom creeps, the water leaps brighter, the flowers turn up their faces, the very stones cry out and sparrows open their throats with rapture.
Who does not see the secret power of that kingdom? He who does see is like a man who has found a treasure hidden in a field and who sells everything he owns to buy the field. And all who pass that man wonder at the light that is in his eyes.
Who has seen the Great King? We have seen, joyful on the streets of Assisi, His little troubadour. We have seen His great knights and soldiers, the handmaids of His household, living their expectant lives in waiting and wonder. Our flags are up and ready! Our hearts await Him with expectation! He comes, but yet he delays. And as He delays, many of those who wait leave, grown tired of the passing days. Yet still His kingdom, like a tree growing out and up with warm and open arms, spreads silent hope over the land.
And He will come soon! The eyes of the children show forth His closeness and they who feel Him with their purest little hearts, and see Him from afar with their trusting clear eyes are telling others of His love and His promise. Become like these, O ye people! Or ye will not enter the Kingdom of the Great King!
And, so with gentle softness the Kingdom creeps into the people's hearts and they wait with hopeful beating hearts for a glimpse of the Adorable King. Men ready their swords and bright shields to follow Him where'er He may lead. They gird themselves with His sign and standard. The waiting is almost over.
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"What kind of King is Jesus? What is His Kingdom like?"
Here, in this place of peace and holiness, romance and simplicity, the image of a beautiful king comes easily to my mind.
And I see a king whose coming was fortold of old. All the earth struggled in darkness and turmoil. The winters were long and cold, the flowers faded and the mountains glowered.
Yet, while the King tarries, all is not lost. What a secret kingdom this King has! Silent and small, like a seed it grows. And yet, people laugh with secret delighted joy to see its beautiful branches reaching out to intwine the world. Where the kingdom creeps, the water leaps brighter, the flowers turn up their faces, the very stones cry out and sparrows open their throats with rapture.
Who does not see the secret power of that kingdom? He who does see is like a man who has found a treasure hidden in a field and who sells everything he owns to buy the field. And all who pass that man wonder at the light that is in his eyes.
Who has seen the Great King? We have seen, joyful on the streets of Assisi, His little troubadour. We have seen His great knights and soldiers, the handmaids of His household, living their expectant lives in waiting and wonder. Our flags are up and ready! Our hearts await Him with expectation! He comes, but yet he delays. And as He delays, many of those who wait leave, grown tired of the passing days. Yet still His kingdom, like a tree growing out and up with warm and open arms, spreads silent hope over the land.
And He will come soon! The eyes of the children show forth His closeness and they who feel Him with their purest little hearts, and see Him from afar with their trusting clear eyes are telling others of His love and His promise. Become like these, O ye people! Or ye will not enter the Kingdom of the Great King!
And, so with gentle softness the Kingdom creeps into the people's hearts and they wait with hopeful beating hearts for a glimpse of the Adorable King. Men ready their swords and bright shields to follow Him where'er He may lead. They gird themselves with His sign and standard. The waiting is almost over.
Rejoice now, O you people! The King of the Sunlit Lands is coming! With him come colors -- vibrant, glowing, riotous color. The birds sing, the mountains smile, the sunlight races bright and gentle to the earth. The winter is gone! The mist lifts and once again men raise their heads. The dawn breaks in the eyes of the wondering people. The King is coming!
He stands there, tall and fair of face and limb. His face speaks nobility and grace. In his eyes there is laughter and joy, and yet at the same time, depths of mysterious enigmatic silence and sorrow. At His look, men's breasts are filled with confidence. At His word, men leap to obey. At His smile, the world is flooded with laughter and sunlight. At His sadness, men weep. To save one tear from falling from His eye, all men would die without thought. He calls forth, with His lovely eyes and His kingly bearing, the undying loyalty of thousands. Where he treads the people shout for joy and wave their bright flags. Confident love and respect blooms in their joyous eyes. His banner over them is Love. And His laughter flows out and covers the land.
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