“Prayer and Thanksgiving are the two wings of the soul by which it rises upward to God.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, 1883
George G. Findlay, Thessalonians
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges is a Bible commentary first published in the 1880’s by Cambridge University Press. The general editor, Anglican Bishop John Perowne, allowed the writer of each individual commentary “the unfettered exercise of his own judgment.” George G. Findlay (1849-1919) was a Professor of New Testament Language and Literature at the Wesleyan College, Headingley, Leeds (the oldest school of theological education for the Methodist Church of Great Britain).
In the valley of the night
where I must now remain,
my faith yet rises, lithe and light
on rising sparks of flame.
They say that we shall walk through hell
and never smell of smoke;
I’ve been there, and I can tell
you, cobber, that’s a joke.
It’s smoke that makes us who we are,
and all the burned flesh besides.
To get to here we’ve traveled far
on a lave-sea of blazing tides.
I do not need some snow-white gown;
my charred rags are heaven’s crown.
Oh Andrew, I love the image of faith rising on sparks of flame. Thank you for putting it into words. Now when I sit by the fire ring, I’ll see your and my faith rising with the sparks.
I’m so glad this spoke to you. More than you may know.