"The Accelerator"  (I John - generally)

“Use circles to accelerate,” said David long ago;
“Two strings, a piece of leather makes a rock fly – that I know –
It’s how I slew Goliath when we met out on that field,
My rock whirled ’round then I let go – that’s how that man was killed.”

“Use circles to accelerate”, says physicist today;
“Put magnets in a circle, hook them up a certain way,
Then drive some particles around that circle very fast,
Then smash them in an atom and you’ll get a real blast.”

“Use circles to accelerate”, says rocket scientist;
“Use gravity of planets, sun, or moon – but just don’t miss;
Then give a blast on rockets to release to outer space,
And you’ll gain speed (bat out of hell), next step for human race.

The first two I don’t like so much, although they have their place;
Their purpose is to smash things up, for me that’s not my space;
The third one has appeal for me – with it you go somewhere,
But principal in use in each is similar – compare –

This with John’s letter (First that is) – three orbits around the Son –
“Are you a walker in the light?” First circle – that’s the one,
Where he checks out reality of claims three ways to see,
If claim holds up to scrutiny, reflects reality.

First test – is righteousness, which means right-living, going straight;
The second – love, can soften up the righteous more than hate;
The third – belief, a test which looks at attitude most days,
Which drives us on to act things out – like walking lighted ways.

The second Circle around the Son is all about our dad –
Not father in the earthly sense, but Father we’ve all had;
The same three tests (re: “child of God”) applied, reveals the truth –
If we’ve a mind like God’s at all, or if we walk aloof.

Our attitude to righteousness; our tendency to love;
Deep attitudes to things of God down here as up above;
That brings us to third cycle ’round as we pick up in speed –
John synthesizes those three tests, of which we’re now in need –

How does one’s righteousness connect to loving other folks?
How does what we believe hook up with righteousness? – no joke –
He’s serious, for he wraps up with “certainties” in life;
Then frees us from our orbit-spin, as particles of light –

Shot out into deep-space, where darkness is the lot of man
And woman, in our world today – accelerators can
Get us into some places we have never been before;
“Come on, let’s do a spin”, John says, “of life there’s so much more.”

Lord thanks for John providing us with ways to pick up speed,
For we wind down as time goes on, a pick-me-up we need;
So much to think about each day as we spin round the Son,
With John as guide, Christ’s friend who sped his life ’till having fun.

Thanks Lord for this.

navigation