rebelling against low expectations

A Poem For Weary Saints

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NOTE: While we don’t normally publish poems on The Rebelution, we made an exception for Esther. She writes about a common struggle for rebelutionaries — weariness. She writes about tiredness, brokenness. But she reflects on these things with such gentleness, happiness, and compassion that her poem is refreshingly redemptive. If you’re weary today, soak in these truths. – Jaquelle (Editor-in-Chief)


“To a Weary Saint: On Scars”

The scars laid on you these years—
Ragged flesh wrenched with
Brokenness and humanness, which are one,
Turning slowly to pink and white ridges
Which pang still with old pain
And striped over with new wounds—
The scars will be the thin places
Where glory blazes through your skin
Chorusing the Name so loud
Like to burst from your center with the heaviness of light
What you have suffered for will be shown all fire and beauty
That hurts, almost, to look at
Grieve them not, footsore saint
He will draw brightness from your soul’s bruises


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About the author

Esther Johnson

is a writer, editor, and strategic communications major, passionate about connecting nonprofits with their supporters through social media storytelling. She likes lemon bars, morning runs, and Scottish accents. She has interned with Piercing Word Ministries performing and developing scripts, and you can find her writing regularly for Top Christian Books and on her blog.

18 comments

  • I love this poem! It is beautiful, and I am normally not one to read poems. Thank you for this.

  • I loved this poem! I don’t usually enjoy reading poems, but this one was amazing! Thank you! 🙂

  • I’ve never read anything more poignant relating to our battle scars. Thank you. It is beautiful

  • Wow! This poem is really beautiful! Esther, you are a really great writer!

  • Thanks Esther! This is so pretty and it captures the Christian walk perfectly.

  • Very nice! 2 Corinthians 4:7-11, “7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

    8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

    9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

    10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

    11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.”

    http://www.thesavingtruth.com

  • This was especially good as I’m working to earn my scars this week. I love the phrase “The heaviness of light”. This shows the point of our trials so beautifully. Thank you!

  • Exactly! It’s not that I don’t like poems, I just like certain ones, the right ones. 🙂

  • I love Leonard Cohen’s quote: “There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” And you flipped it around to say: “He will draw brightness from your soul’s bruises.” The wounds both let in the light, and let out the light. Do you mind if I use this for my final project in performing arts? I’m just doing it for my family using “Anthem” by Cohen and The Angel That Troubled the Waters by Wilder.

  • Feel free! I’m glad you liked it so well. Please just credit me and don’t change any words : )

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →