The poem “ADVENT” was first shared with us in 2014 by Jae Newman, a Northeastern Seminary alumnus and adjunct professor. This poem is the first entry in our advent blog series of poetry and reflections surrounding this the season of anticipation in the Christian liturgical year. Here in the first few days of advent let us collectively still our souls to hear the quiet whispers of our Lord.
ADVENT
by, Jae Newman
Let those with ears hear
and eyes see. Light the wreaths
and pack away doubts
until hearts regain their glow.
Gather together in expectation
to behold how the hand that once trimmed
chaos and shaped the stars,
now reaches out into darkness
toward his mother.
Inaugurate this season
where waiting is the measure and the beat,
and our prayers reside inside the wick
as love burns doubly bright,
and his Spirit, imbued, impales the night.
Jae Newman (MAT ’15) lives with his wife and three children in Rochester, N.Y. He teaches graduate research courses at Northeastern Seminary and English Language Arts at St. Paul Lutheran School in Hilton, N.Y. His poetry has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and his works have appeared in publications such as Rock & Sling, Ruminate Magazine, The Cresset, and Relief. His first collection of poetry, Collage of Seoul, was published in 2014.
