Sunday, December 11, 2016

The tentmaker


After 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

He sews his tents
as he watches the crowd
in the market square.

They move forward and back,
doing what they’ve come to do:
to buy, to sell, to see, to be seen,
to make money, feed a family,
feed themselves, grasp for more.

To and fro they move
as he sews his tents
and waits, the needle
in his hand suitable
for piercing heavy cloth.

He waits as he considers,
as he watches, considers
that he serves them more
than a tentmaker.
He makes good tents;
the quality is the first attraction.
Talk will come afterward,
but the quality is first.


Photograph by George Hodan via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

2 comments:

Rick Wilcox said...

Just what I needed today. Thank you.

Martha Jane Orlando said...

Beautiful, Glynn! I've always loved the idea that Paul never gave up doing his "ordinary" work when spreading the extraordinary Good News.
Blessings!