I have loved poetry since I was a boy at school, believing that it has the power to move and
inspire people, provided that any rhymes used are natural and unforced. Such poems can
speak in a way prose or blank verse does not, succinctly expressing a challenge and
encouraging reflection.
Throughout my years in the ministry, I’ve also always been a great believer in intercessory
prayer, not in any simplistic sense – ask God and he’s sure to deliver – but convinced that
concern for the wider world and issues of social justice are not just optional issues but
integral to what faith is all about. Religion that turns in on itself has little to offer anyone. We
need to pray for others, but we must recognise equally that this is never an end in itself. ‘I’ll
pray for you,’ we can too easily say, as though doing that is enough. It is not. True
intercessory prayer stirs us into action, whether it be giving to charity, visiting the sick,
comforting the bereaved and lonely, volunteering for a good cause, or simply showing
someone that we care.
That’s why, in 2018, I wrote the book In a World of Tears and Sorrow: 100 Intercessory
Poems to Guide Prayer and Inspire Reflection. I wanted to bring poetry and intercession
together in a way that would stimulate thought, stir the heart and call for a response. My aim
was to provide material that speaks in a way straightforward intercessory prayer cannot quite
capture; a way that leaves the issues covered and the needs prayed for fresh in the mind long
after the prayer has first been used, thus helping to turn good intentions into action. Whether
you use this book for personal devotion or public worship, It is my hope that it will prove a
source of challenge and inspiration.
The book is available from 5 to 11 October at a 10 per cent discount (that’s a pound off,
down to just £8.99), using the code WORLD10. Simply type the code into the relevant box at
the KM checkout between the dates given.
Meanwhile, here’s the first of seven poetic reflections from the book that I’ll be posting this
week to run alongside this promotion, this one challenging us concerning the depth of commitment to others.
We talk of love and friendship
We talk of love and friendship,
how genuinely we care;
we boast about our closeness –
a special bond we share.
But is there any substance
behind the oaths we make?
Or are they glibly spoken
and easier to break?
We claim to think of others,
to care about the poor;
to gladly give a little
that others may have more.
But is there real intention
behind the words we speak?
Or is our caring hollow
and our commitment weak?
We claim to live for others,
to put the stranger first,
to see the best in people
where others see the worst.
Yet are we any different
in what we do and say?
Does anything about us
speak of a different way?
No one will pay attention
to anything we teach
unless we are consistent
and practise what we preach.
Fine words come all too cheaply,
yet are just so much air,
unless we show in action
how much we really care.