When fishes flew and forests walked, And figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when the moon was blood, Then surely I was born. Why does China feel so threatened by Christians? In the first lines of this piece, the speaker begins by stating that as he was born he was made into something ugly. by G.K. Chesterton. "Hosanna!" The highest One has deigned to become one of us, to call us brothers and sisters, indeed, to call us friends. Patrick Comerford has posted GK Chesterton’s poem “The Donkey” as his Palm Sunday entry in his Lenten Poems series. Palm Sunday is the day when we, like Jesus’ animal companion, are set loose to … Palm Sunday is a day we Christians commemorate as we remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem during this Easter season. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Donkey: How GK Chesterton radically retold Palm Sunday. the donkey waited. The renowned author, journalist and Christian apologist GK Chesterton was the … Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Holy Week 2012 Index of Posts « Lent & Beyond, A Collection of Palm Sunday Prayers and Devotionals | Lent & Beyond, Poems for Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday… | Lent & Beyond, 43 Poems for Lent - a complete index of Patrick Comerford's 2012 blog series, A Compilation of 70 Favorite Easter and Eastertide Hymns, A Poem for Palm Sunday: GK Chesterton's "The Donkey", Music for Lent: Not What My Hands Have Done, The Rev. ‘The Donkey’ by G.K. Chesterton is told from the perspective of the self-hating donkey Christ rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But then, most us may be too hard on ourselves. I am talking about . A tender poem that references Palm Sunday. When fishes flew and forests walked And figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when the moon was blood, Then surely I was born; ... Aries - I have always loved this poem, since i first read it at school.Really thought provoking, wonderful . ( Log Out /  Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Cry blessing to you Saviour King, Shout aloud, hosanna's ring. Patrick Comerford's 2012 Series "Poems for Easter", Good Friday Hymns #4: In Evil Long I Took Delight (John Newton) / The Look (adaptation by Bob Kauflin), Lent Prayers: Martin Luther - You are my righteousness, I am your sin, A Poem for Good Friday - Amy Carmichael: Lest We Forget, Lenten reflections by Christian Leaders: Rowan Williams & Pope Benedict XVI, * Advent Category (all Advent posts on the blog), *Index of all L&B Advent Entries (2004 – 2006), Christian Resource Institute – Advent page, Holy Trinity New Rochelle – Advent Resources, Jesse Tree Devotions (Older youth / adults), Lift Up Your Hearts (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany Links). Some moment when the moon was blood. Praise the Lord, call out with glee, Your Saviour comes astride donkey. The tattered outlaw of the earth, Of ancient crooked will, So in Jesus came, and the strong and the lame James Tissot, Palm Sunday painting. The tattered outlaw of the earth, Loving and meek, no power would he seek, as he sat on the donkey so humble. There was a shout about my ears, As the world changes at breakneck speed, can the Church keep up? But the Christ Child also rode on a donkey when he was carried in the womb by his mother, the Virgin Mary, to Bethlehem before his birth. Just as the donkey is an unsung, unloved and unattractive creature who becomes the hero in Chesterton’s poem, so too the most humble and unattractive people, even though they are without social connections or the appearance of being important, are seen by Christ as who they truly are, made in God’s image and likeness. At the end of the third stanza, the donkey informs us that he has a secret, and that secret is revealed in the last two lines of the poem. The Donkey, by GK Chesterton. The Rev. Home‎ > ‎Quotations and Illustrations‎ > ‎~P‎ > ‎Palm Sunday‎ > ‎ Poem, "The Poet Thinks of the Donkey" The Poet Thinks of the Donkey, by Mary Oliver. Registered in England and Wales 5090917, Christian Today, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN, Enough of presidents who speak the language of Christianity while leaving out Christ, 'Spiritual' but non-religious Gen Z are lonely and craving relationships, study shows, Bill seeks to protect freedom of speech at university from cancel culture. With monstrous head and sickening cry, “The donkey?” you say. If the lowly beast of burden becomes a bearer of the King, then surely Christ can see through the ways our perceptions of our own worth and understanding are at times awry and distorted. Way hey and away we go, Donkey riding, donkey riding; Way hey and away we go, Ridin' on a donkey. Then surely I was born. leap with delight! The tattered outlaw of the earth, Of ancient crooked will; Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb, I keep my secret still. Also a wonderful metaphor for how God uses the flawed to complete his perfect will. He truly is, Gods righteous Son, And this witness too can provide us with a valuable perspective on that first Palm Sunday. Then he let the stranger mount. Palm Sunday celebrates Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey with palms at his feet. Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb, . The Donkey -a poem by G.K. Chesterton WHEN fishes flew and forests walked And figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when … This is a poem that I wrote and preached as the Palm/Passion Sunday sermon this past weekend at the Upper Room. When fishes flew and forests walked And figs grew upon thorn, Some moment when the moon was blood Then surely I was born; With monstrous head and sickening cry And ears like errant wings, The devil's walking parody On all four-footed things. For I also had my hour; One far fierce hour and sweet: There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet. Was you ever in Miramichi, Where ye tie up to a tree, An' the girls sit on yer knee, Ridin' on a donkey? Palm Sunday celebrates Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey with palms at his feet. When fishes flew and forests walked, The whole poem is written with the donkey … Works Cited Its pretty self-explaining. ), Our compilation of Easter Resources & Links, Practice Resurrection (Ordinary Splendor blog), 2006 Anglican Bloggers Lenten Devotionals Series – Index, Biola: The Lent Project (online multi-media devotional), Homemaking Through the Church Year (Lent), Jouney to the Cross Devotional (D365.org), Lenten Scripture Cross – a Lenten “Jesse Tree”, Passionists: Meditations & Prayers for Lent, Trinity School for Ministry: Online Lenten Devotional, Magic Statistics (Prayers & Liturgy posts), Middle East & North Africa (Lent & Beyond), The King’s English – Reborn as Reading Between The Lines. At the words "rejoicing" and "shouting," the crowd began to stir. Fools! For him, theology and imagination were intimately connected. He’d come to that place to show God’s saving grace, that God’s on the sufferer’s side. The devil’s walking parody the donkey waited. But the donkey, tied to a tree as usual, waited. What kind of king are you? Maybe they started dreaming of the grain and wine he would provide for them. Then surely I was born. Before Jesus entered the city, he told his disciples, “go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. A poem for Palm Sunday – “The Donkey”, G K Chesterton by Séamus Sweeney Posted on April 14, 2019 I find Chesterton a somewhat mixed bag , and that applies to his poetry also, but this has always moved me deeply, and is all the more effective for concealing its theme until the last stanza: Palm Sunday marks the occasion when Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51) for the last time and rode into the city seated on a donkey amid the welcome and cheers of the crowd. And ears like errant wings. On the outskirts of Jerusalem. For I also had my hour; In this short poem G. K. Chesterton captures Palm Sunday from the perspective of the donkey that Jesus rode. The donkey remains dumb and does not declare his moment of greatness to those who deride him. GK Chesterton, a Catholic, explored theological and existential truths through fiction and poetry. This is the best Palm Sunday poem we know. Of ancient, crooked will; Of ancient crooked will; Starve, scourge, deride me: I am dumb, I keep my secret still. Is the donkey too hard on himself? Transfigurations blog – Advent Devotionals, Becoming Easter People (Ordinary Splendor blog), Daily Prayers & Reflections for the Easter Octave (Creighton U. Instead, his experience is an internal knowledge of his true value. But a famous poem illuminates the tale by embracing the perspective not of Jesus or the people, but the humble colt on which the Messiah rode. Zechariah's word, today comes true, 'See your King now comes to you.' went up the shout. The Rev. Please click here to learn how. The Donkey poem is one of the most popular posts on Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed. However, this poem points us, not so much to the donkey, but to our “Beast of Burden,” Christ, who carried the burden that no one else could bear – the sins of the world. "Son of David!" You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. By David Mills Published on March 29, 2015 • David Mills. ( Log Out /  Imagine perhaps that you are the donkey. This entry was posted on Sunday, April 1st, 2012 at 5:56 pm and is filed under Anglican Heritage, Devotional, Holy Week, Lent Devotionals, Palm Sunday, Poems, Hymns and Songs. Lessons from a Donkey By AlAn R. Rudnick What needs to be untied in our lives, so that we can praise and honor God? Fools! 1. And figs grew upon thorn, . But a famous poem illuminates the tale by embracing the perspective not of Jesus or the people, but the humble colt on which the Messiah rode. It is a 'tattered outlaw' to be starved and derided, but though it cannot speak, this outcast animal has seen wondrous things. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Soon enough on that road he’d be bearing a load: a cross that would cause him to stumble. The Donkey: A Poem for Palm Sunday. With monstrous head and sickening cry, You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. And ears like errant wings, Chesterton captures Palm Sunday from the perspective of the donkey that Jesus rode. Then he let himself be led away. Save us." For I also had my hour; One far fierce hour and sweet: There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet. Way hey and away we go, Donkey riding, donkey riding; Way hey and away we go, Ridin' on a donkey. 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