“A Normal Christian Worker – 1 – Diligence” [Reflection on Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Worker,Kowtoon, HongKong, Hong Kong Church Book Room Ltd, 1971] (2 Peter 1:15)
When I considered Nee again,
Found “Diligence” at first, and main
Point of his tome (well, speeches, here
Collected, as they now appear) –One point stood out above the rest
Two-Peter-one-and-fifteen – zest –
Pete had to write, ’fore his demise,
That others might, through that, be wise.I had not closely looked at this –
With age and stage I could not miss –
We’re both at end, not first of life
And work, so best we pause to write.Now “authorship” comes into line –
“Discipled one” works out just fine;
For Peter wound up in a jail,
And executed – nailed –Upon a cross, just like his Lord,
But upside down, requesting word
Asked that might be, lest folks mistake
Equality, which Pete would hate.So maybe in a rush, Pete said,
“My friend, as soonest I’ll be dead,
Write out these points for later folk,
To guide each one, through words I spoke.“For I’ve run out of time, I see,
Just jot them down, account for me –
Lest words get lost in troubled days,
A book exists – “What Peter Says”.This was before our Internet,
Or POD, or book-tapes let
Us speak to others ’round the globe;
But it’s the same – for mother-load –Of concepts, insights, points of view,
Can written be, to feed the few –
Sheep Christ assigns for us to feed
On his behalf – as food each needs.An epigraph from this wee verse,
For tomes I’ll publish! (could do worse);
For, even if disciple left
The task to end of life – I’ll let –The reader know (through H-F tome?),
The storied options in the zone
Of possibility herein –
It’s where new writing might begin.So diligence – with many tasks,
Creates a problem when one asks
Which has run out first, “work” or “time”?
For Peter? Me? Not “work that’s mine”.Thanks Holy Spirit for this.
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