Music and poetry (7)
The poetry of Catherine Baird
Catherine Baird was a gifted writer and, as a Salvation Army Officer, was used in that capacity for Salvation Army publications. In addition, she wrote poetry and song words, some of which are in The Salvation Army Songbook. These devotional thoughts are linked to some of her songs.
Devotional thoughts by Lt. Colonel Diane O’Brien
THE SEERS
Only the lowly and the wise
Hear victory songs in infant cries!
Proud eyes may swiftly turn away
From Jesus’ manger bed of hay,
Yet do the pure, with perfect sight,
See chariots of holy light
And heavenly horsemen, clad in power
Invading time each day and hour.
In silent prayer they venture far
Beyond this world’s most distant star,
Encounter God in every place
Where saint and sinner need God’s grace.
Did you see the movie “The Princess Diaries”?
For those who missed this sweet story, there’s a moment when Mia, the young heroine, is lost, soaked by rain, confused and frightened. And over the brow of the hill drives Joe, the strong, older, father figure, to the accompaniment of The William Tell Overture (or for those of a certain age, The Lone Ranger theme). When I saw it in the theatre, the moms all cheered. They knew that rescue had arrived!
We’ve seen them portrayed in other movies … the horsemen in the sky. Mostly they are not comforting. We’ve read about them in Revelation. And honestly, they appear with a sense of foreboding, a warning of dreadful things to come.
But in the poem The Seers that is not the reference. Their mention brings echoes of the “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12. But in fact they are the horsemen of Zechariah chapter 6:1, 4-8, who sweep from standing in the presence of the Lord to the four corners of the earth, with the promise of the presence of His powerful Spirit.
This should have a longer study than this space will allow. But in its simplest comparison, these horsemen are less like death eaters and more like the Lone Ranger!
Zechariah 6:1
New International Version
Four Chariots
6 I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze.
Zechariah 6:4-8
New International Version
4 I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”
5 The angel answered me, “These are the four spirits[a] of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. 6 The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west,[b] and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.”
7 When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, “Go throughout the earth!” So they went throughout the earth.
8 Then he called to me, “Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit[c] rest in the land of the north.”
The Spirit of God sweeps throughout the world, with His all-powerful, all-gracious power, to stand with us in our most vulnerable hour.
Saints and sinners do need God’s grace today. May you encounter His presence in your place today.