Of Gold Of Grace
I love archaeology
A tiny golden bell lost in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago during the Second Temple period and has been found among the ruins near the Old City. Source: AFP
Finding
Seeing
Shadows of the past
I read an article
In The Australian
Found here… Link
About a tiny golden bell
Found beneath
The ancient City ofDavid
It causes me to think…
Along the streets and alleys of old Jerusalem
Sat the beggars
Bundled in rags
Hidden from view
Only a hand
Extended
Begging
Pleading
Awaiting jubilee
Sometimes
The beggar hand
Would reach
For the ringing hems of rich men
Hoping for their fortune
To fall
For it is there
Tiny bells of pure gold hang
Singing out God’s favour
Perhaps today good fortune
Would favour the brave
Perhaps today
One of those bells would fall
Into a beggar hand
In his household
The rich man’s wife
Keeps a handmaid
Plying needle and thread
Her job
To stitch and restitch
Each piece of gold
Secure to the fine woollen hem
To ensure God’s favour
Does not fall
From her husband’s coat
But another man
Walks Jerusalem’s
streets
No gold hangs from His hem
Another woman comes
Risking all
Shame
Condemnation
Her lost dignity
To reach for His hem
Her need is great
A woman whose duty is
To care for her husband
Her sons
Her household
This woman could do none of it
Because she is cursed
The blood constantly staining her linen
Sets her apart
Making her unclean
According to theTemple
Unclean of spirit too
Unable to touch or be touched
By her husband
Her sons
Unable
To care
To cook
To keep house
Unable
To cradle
To caress
As she so longs to do
Unable to join the sisters
At the market
At the well
Unable to celebrate
Unable to join Prayers
To the Sacred
This woman
Unable to touch or be touched
Sets out to reach for His hem
The hem from which God’s grace falls
Not golden bells
The crowd is thick around Him
Rough
He, a Rabbi
A Teacher
A Good man
She afraid of staining
His good name
His Sanctity
But still
Compelled she follows
Throwing herself to the ground
Into the camel dung
A beggar in the dirt
She crawls
Reaching for His hem
Hung about with
Golden Grace
God’s mercy hoped for
God’s mercy found
With the lightest touch
Her fingers stroke the rough wool
In that moment the bleeding stops
As He feels her touch
She feels the healing
Deep within
No longer stained
No longer unclean
He stops
Looks for her
Raises her to her feet
Holds her
Tenderly
Blesses her
Now made whole
In another street
One tiny golden bell
From a rich man’s hem
Falls
Rolling into the gutter
A tiny golden bell lost in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago during the Second Temple period and has been found among the ruins near the Old City. Source: AFP
Washed
By wind
By rain
It drops
Into the sewer far below
Where
2000 years later
It is found
It is celebrated
A testament to ancient times
All this while
God’s good Grace
Has fallen
Freely, freely given
To those who reach for Him
Words and watercolours © Denise Stanford 2011
Article from The Australian… Link
Photograph: AFP
Within the Vine 
wonderful post, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector don’t notice this. You should continue your writing. I’m confident, you have a great readers’ base already!
beautiful …
I am Blessed
when you
take time to pause
read my words
leave precious gifts in response
Thankyou x D