Hyssop and Honey

Pure

Hope Curran

The spots sank deep

Skin scratched to scabs

In the striving to be

Pure

We went out to the field

Finding hyssop

  Fresh honey

The river stream ritual,

To be clean

  To be pure

Lavender amidst fresh green

The spots and blemishes fully seen

As snow began to fall

As honey

 Wild

Plops like rain

Our prayers for purity

Covered our stains and insecurity

Pure

No longer mixed with mud

   Radiant

No longer charcoal ash

Clean

Ready to be recreated

      The page blank

Hyssop healing

Honey dripping

To be pure

Pasteurized and pleasing

Fragrant perfume

Spritzed out with time

To the fields we go

Filled with hope

To be made

      Pure.

A Christmas tree spray painted gold, found in March sitting in a fountain in the heart of Paris. White rose petals on creaky apartment floorboards, sunshine flooding in. The reflection of angels in ancient palace mirrors, vessels of flame light. Broken windshields amidst fall leaves, mushy with rain. The cradled body of a similar soul, lying it a pit overlooking the ocean after a long hike uphill in England. These images are traced on my mind through memory, pictures of brokenness and beauty. 

I was asked to share the preach at my church "La Cité" in Paris this past weekend on Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God". In preparing I became overwhelmed and embarrassed by the amount of grace God has poured on my unclean heart. I began to see the stains of my striving, pride, judgment, gluttony, greed and sin. I began to ask "Lord what is the fruit of my life??". I am in the process of redemption. I am in the process of seeing my own brokenness and experiencing the sweetness of truth. I am forgiven, clean, scrubbed up and whole through Jesus: the only human to live a life of complete purity. I need a new prescription to see God clearly. I need vision to give purpose to my pain. I need someone to save me. Below is the talk I gave (excuse the awkward jokes and silly things) and I pray it might bless YOU. Please feel free to respond or reach out if you have any questions or would like to know about my journey to seeing God.