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Karen Swallow Prior's avatar

I’ve been spending the day caring for my mom and am delighted to see this lively conversation going on! Will catch up and chime in as I can. What a wonderful community we have here!

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Holly A.J.'s avatar

So much beauty and meaning in such a short little poem. There is a possible triple meaning that I caught a glimpse of in the lines, possibly because I once memorized Romans 6, 7, & 8. As Romans 6 says, whose who trust in Christ die to their old selves in His death and are raised with Him to new life - so I immediately percieved "U is graved" as being Herbert's sense of his old self, in the second person, being buried. I memorized those chapters of Romans while in the midst of and at the behest of a very legalistic program, and so the idea of that death of the old self, burial, and resurrection in Christ seemed to require laborious self sacrifice. Herbert's little poem has reminded me that Jesus said that His yoke was easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:30)- He truly does ease us.

Karen, regarding the discussion last week whether Jesus is 'The Pulley' when I saw the title of this week's article, I suddenly remembered Jesus' words from the Gospel of John (12:32), "As for me, if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to myself." Yes, I think He is Herbert's pulley.

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