Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Soul's Longing

I read one morning in a Psalm (I can't remember now which one) the phrase 'Deep Calls Unto Deep'. I thought, "That'd be a great name for a book." Then on someone's blog (I can't remember which blog either) I found this poem. It made my breathe catch in my throat. The deepness of it is almost too much for words, but the author of this poem somehow managed.



























The Call of Deep Unto Deep
by John Wright Follette

Down in the depth of my nature
Where the issues of life are born,
From that unknown mystical realm,
Surviving through ages of storm,
A call is forever rising -
But its language I cannot speak.
It was born ere I had being,
'Tis the call of deep unto deep.
Our mother tongue here is awkward,
For no words can fully express
The needs in the depths of nature,
In bondage to sin and distress.
Our hearts in their depths surely ache;
They hunger; they call; and they seek -
Then silently wait an answer
To the call of deep unto deep.
Down deep in the heart of our God,
In mystical regions sublime,
In the Godhead's holy council
Long before our world or our time,
An answer was fully prepared
Every pain, every ache to meet,
In Christ, God's only begotten,
Is answer to deep unto deep.
The Answer indeed was the Word,
The Word when expressed was the Son.
Oh language of God how profound!
In answer what more could be done?
The heart of our God is hungry,
His portion, His people to seek.
"I thirst," was cried by the Answer -
'Tis the call of deep unto deep.

2 comments:

Jeannette said...

“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise (call) of thy water-spouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” Psalm 42:7.

Thank you for sharing this poem...

GretchenJoanna said...

Thank you, Debbie. And glory to God for his overflowing love, which calls us to share in it. The rhythm of the poem reminds me of a fountain....