Big S Or Small? (Romans 8:26-7)

Has Paul a convoluted thought?
Or more we don’t know Greek – not taught
That much – so, sloppy, standard low –
We do not know what we should know.

Big ‘s’ or small on “spirit” word?
Whose spirit’s here in text referred
To by Apostle Paul – for here
Small ‘s’ (not God) makes meaning clear:

“The mind of spirit, Jesus knows;
God’s Spirit? ours? for small ‘s’ blows
My mind – big ‘s’ confusion makes,
And “squirrel” answer thus creates.

For Jesus, searcher of our hearts,
Knows spirit – ours – and there He starts
His building job within each one
Of us – continues till He’s done.

Mind of that spirit – ours, that is –
Is known to Him – what kind of biz
It deep desires to see fulfilled,
It’s ways of thought Christ has distilled.

For back in twenty-six Paul states,
We are confused, we hesitate,
For we don’t know for what to pray,
In joint-endeavor sort of way.

So Spirit (big ‘s’) helps us out,
With groans beyond our words of doubt;
Mind of our spirit’s thus conveyed,
And prayer’s expressed – ’fore God it’s laid.

The Pentecostal folks would say,
“Prayer language” – use it every day,
It’s there for us – don’t be a fool
Ignoring it – it’s just a tool.

But Baptists quite uneasy get
With gibberish – we think; and yet
We also have unspoken prayers
Which Spirit carries through the air.

Heart-wrenching are our deepest cries –
Like at divorce; when someone dies;
Betrayal; slander; shunning; loss –
Deep calls to deep, conveying cost.

So in these words I also hear,
Christ comprehends – he sees quite clear
Our deepest thoughts, our spirit’s mind –
For which no word expression finds.

An interplay of mystery,
Transcends all our theology,
As soldier at the foot of cross
Sensed deep within our tragic loss –

But had no words to frame it ‘right’ –
Theology he lacked – but sight,
Before his eyes and deep within,
Showed clearly – “We quite wrong have been”.

These verses fill the Baptists’ gap –
We often fall in thinker’s trap
Of words and thoughts – we want to bend
Religion ’till we comprehend.

But in the end it will not fit;
God’s bigger than the sum of it;
Paul says, our deep unspoken prayers
God comprehends – and deeply cares.

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