The Unadorned Altar #369

The Unadorned Altar In the quiet spaces between our breaths, a whisper echoes— A call to gaze not upon the crafted, but the uncarved, Where the Gospel, a river of depth, flows beyond the shallow banks Of appearances, into the heart of purity untouched. Imagine an altar, not hewn by eager hands, But laid in stones untouched, unshaped by worldly demands. This sacred ground, free from the chisel's deceit, Stands as a testament to simplicity, where divine and earth meet. Ascend not with steps, for each rise betrays the humility sought, A journey towards the sky, not by height, but the depth of thought. And in this realm of unadorned grace, we find a truth so tender— That beauty, in its purest form, is in the eye of the beholder. Consider now the lilies, how effortlessly they bloom, Arrayed in splendor, without a loom. Not even Solomon, in all his glory and might, Could mirror nature's effortless plight. This is the lesson of the lilies, a sermon on the mount, A call to value essence, where true beauty accounts. For in the simplicity of creation, devoid of man's intervention, Lies a divine simplicity, a source of true ascension. So let us cherish the unadorned, the simple, the serene, For in them, the echo of the divine is seen. In the whispers of the wind, the rustle of the leaf, We find the profound, the belief, the relief. In this prose of life, a poetry of existence, We uncover wisdom, persistence, To see beyond the veil of material allure, And embrace the simple, the pure, for sure. Written by Steven G. Lee (February 22, 2024)