Born of Water and Blood

I suppose this poem/reflection was a product of many thoughts colliding: a reaction against the idealised views of birth, especially the birth of Jesus in less than ideal conditions, the discipline of waiting in both advent and pregnancy, as well as the Jesus' phrase about being born of "water and Spirit" (John 3: 5) to Nicodemus, a conversation which also gave us the much-misused or misunderstood statement about being "born again/from above", as well as the verse in the first Letter of John:

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.

1 John 5:6 (ANIV)

Born of water and blood

He’s coming Joseph
He’s coming…
The waters break…
And the agony begins.

Through the water
The people were saved.
Through time of trial
A place of promise was reached.

Wait, my love…
Wait, don’t push…
The time is not right,
But he is coming…

Why must we wait?
Why not now?
Let’s take what is ours
It’s the way of the world

He’s coming, my love…
Born in blood…
He is born, he breathes
And he cries…

So many tears and so much blood
The blood of battlefields
And the blood of beasts
Flowing free in the temple..

Born of water and blood
Born to bleed and die
Born to cleanse and restore
Born that we might live…

Born of water and blood.

David A. Campton November 30th 2010

Selah

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