Preaching as Refraction

By Richardl @richardlittleda

Strong light and weak glass

There’s an awful lot of the science I learnt at school which I have forgotten, for which I apologize profusely to Mr Berrington, my science teacher. I do remember, though, the weeks we spent learning about the behavior of waves. We learnt all about reflection, refraction and diffraction. Today, as I contemplate preaching on a subject which is liable to touch many raw nerves, I am reminded of refraction – those scattered rays of light broken up by imperfect glass and spilling across science room benches and ceiling:

I often feel as if the Word is a brittle thing

With my boxing-glove hands I hold it up for inspection

Hoping to catch some light

And petrified of dropping it

In truth it is not so

It is preacher, rather than word, which is brittle

And it holds me.