“Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?'” – John 3:4
You knew, Nicodemus, and Jesus knew you knew
that humans do not live a static life.
They grow, adapt. They shift and change.
Sometimes they even make a brand new start.
Sometimes they start as fresh as wandering wind,
as pure as water droplets glistening.
Where do they go? Who knows? The wind
goes where it will, just like the Holy Spirit.
Though none can set or stay the Spirit’s way,
one thing remains more firm than stone,
more sure than night or day. Yes, God so loved the world
not to condemn, but raise in radiant life.
A poem/prayer based on John 3:1-17, the Revised Common Lectionary Gospel Reading for Year A, Second Sunday in Lent.
The image is Nicodemus by JESUS MAFA, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=48385 [retrieved February 28, 2023]. Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr (contact page: https://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr/contact).
ordainedgeek 
A beautiful prayer.
Thank you, Maren.
Oh yes, balanced and eloquent, not too much or too little, hopeful and encouraging.
Thank you, Barb. I really wanted this one to take just three stanzas for the changing, changed, and changeless. I wasn’t certain it would work.
I love the piece of art. It speaks to me of Nicodemus coming privately in the night.
Thank you, Ed! The JESUS MAFA art collection is wonderful. You can see and access Vanderbilt’s collection here:
https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu//act-processquery.pl?&Quick=mafa
Thanks.