The Cleansing

I stand in the wind 
while it whips along, 
plastering my body 
with fine dust, 
the powdered aftermath 
of life and death 
and thirsty earth.
Deadwood and seedpods
hit the roof, my legs. 
Birds of prey swoop overhead
looking for the innocent,
uncovered, to devour.

O Wind of God,
protect your own.
Hover over, cover us.
Breath of Life, strengthen us.
Heart of Sun, empower us:
your heat, our hope;
your air, our life;
your still small voice
our Word of choice,
while all around us
innuendo and 
assumptions swirl.

I brush dust from my face 
as His breeze flies by,
consoles my soul 
then shivers all the trees
with swoops of power.
The Spirit breathes
and lifts away debris.
The land is swept,
cleaned up and clarified.
I watch. I wait. I listen for
the Whisper of 
my heart’s desire.

Be still and know
that I am God,
and I still rule.
Wait patiently for me.
Let go of your concern
regarding those 
whose schemes succeed.
My strength is 
all you need.
I fight for you; 
and you, my child,
need only to be still.
 
In the region south of the Sahara where we lived in Côte d’Ivoire, December through February there is an intense dry season, harmattan. The night wind of the desert blows south, picking up other dirt and debris along the way, dropping some of it like rusty powdered sugar on whatever it passes over. It was a significant symbol of chaos all around. When I would spend time in my yard for quiet, early on Saturdays, I would be brushed and reddened by the dusty wind myself.

Yes, chaos was a reality in my life in 2010  when I wrote the poem, and it is all around today. So this word from the God who is King of the Universe quiets my anxiety once again. 

The Spirit is literally the “breath” of God in the Hebrew language, blowing over the waters (in Genesis 1:2), coming down on God’s servants to speak to them and through them (as in 2 Chron. 24.20). Picturing his work in the harmattan wind that was picking up the dirt of the nations, lifting the plastic bags dumped on the public spaces and sweeping them onto the roads and into the gutters, this brought me reminders that the wind of God is always at work—even when all we notice is the fractured world around us!

So we need to review what he told us we should do when we are frightened, like what he said to Israel when they were blocked in their flight from Egypt by the Red Sea, and Pharaoh was chasing them down:

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exod. 14:14 NIV)  

Ah! Just be still!  

He said this to David as well when he was distressed by evil actions around him:

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Ps. 37:7 ESV)

That is the counsel of Yahweh, who rules:  do nothing, be quiet, wait! In his timing he will work out his plans for justice. The breath of God is at work: it lifts debris to sweep it away, and brings us fresh air to breathe. His breath, the Spirit, is in us, cleansing us too (pointing out what needs repentance and change). Listen to God’s word, Jesus’s words; they clean us up. He told his disciples:

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  (Jn. 15:1 CSB) 

We listen, digest what the Word has passed on to us, let it do its work. Then we can rest in the goodness of God, who knows way more than we do about how all of this will turn out and will guide us through it.

So how can we wait, when his actions seem to take a long time? 

Some of my friends who are legal immigrants are living in fear these days, knowing that others like them are being grabbed and taken away by government agents. They cannot speak out, for fear of being labeled a threat—even naturalized citizens are afraid as well. Where can they find comfort in the Scriptures?

I have suggested Psalm 73, which starts with anguish about the wickedness seen all around, then changes posture to one of repentance for not trusting God, who is always holding his follower by his right hand, guiding him with his counsel (vv. 23, 24). Today I add this Scriptural advice for us all: the place where our inner being is to rest is in knowing God and his character. 

Yes, there is a time for speaking out—the prophets definitely followed God’s promptings, spoke out against evil, and suffered for doing so. Even when the Lord leads us to speak out and we get backlash, the one place where we can find inner peace is in the recognition of God’s sovereignty and his desire for justice, which includes the protection of the foreigner and the poor. Action requires great wisdom, since definitions of justice and compassion differ greatly in this world. 

So while the wind blows dust all around, let the breath of the Spirit wipe you clean and reassure you that God is at work to accomplish his purposes. He will counsel you as to what action to take or not to take, when to speak or write or stay silent, and how to quiet your anxious thoughts:

 For everything there is an appointed time, and an appropriate time for every activity on earth: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. 5 A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; 7 A time to rip, and a time to sew; a time to keep silent, and a time to speak. 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. (Eccl. 3:1 NET)

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! (Ps. 37:7 ESV)


Note: "The Cleansing" is a poem included in my book of poetry, When He Whispers: Learning to Listen on the Journey. WestBow Press, 2021.  Available on Amazon.