An Economy of Grace

An Economy of Grace

(“Heal the sick who are there and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Luke 10:9)

It is a close-up in sepia with venetian red from chin to forehead;
Her eyes are halfway open as the lids slowly meet; the lashes are so long
they nearly preclude the closing created by history, fatigue and pain.

Back it up, rewind those mysterious eyes, and replay at half-speed the
cropped face with no context or place; perhaps it is a single frame, may two,
but the emerald glint is clear, two jewels hid between treasure chest lids;
she hides the beauty, for once the sadness is seen, our eyes can lie for us,
the gleam of turquoise, sapphire or aquamarine sent full-spectrum through our tears
betray our struggle with pain

Unless we look away at just the right moment, just the right angle,
and keep our eyelids resting upon the other until the observer takes leave,
distracted by some fully open eyes with every single ray of the sun finding
each natural facet in the iris speaking health to every spectator.

But, whether we think the eyes facing us
are the artwork of another fine cinematographer,
or message sent freely (to me) to us, we sense
one awake and one bored to sickness and we may often
leave them both alone.

Yet the two (who represent nearly all) may both be mourning,
hoping a new storehouse of pastels will renew the hues we’ve
allowed to disguise the pain we hardly let the spectators see
and, unhealed, we keep smiling with our eyes,
or sleeping with our lashes barely touching so we can
bit by bit take a slice of light in.

Let the watchers say, whether the light is lost or shining,
whether coasting or climbing; this ill-represented earthen
world
is not a kingdom with grace unfurled. There is another place
within this place, another answer that is Yes and Yes,
another jurisdiction without posts or fences or borders:

Just a healing fountain at every step you take toward
the King whose love pours in the light and ignites the colors
in fifth-world wonder. Waking, sleeping, hiding or weeping;

The kingdom is healing, its colors stream like repeater rainbows
opening the eyes alive and day-free, every-mercy. An economy
of grace that floods the red ledgers and destroys their discrepancies.