Epiphany Poem by Jeffrey Stultz

The earth was bigger today, as all
The people rushed to and fro.
Back and forth, up and down,
Hurrying to their destinations,
The burden of all their cares,
Joys ands hurts weighed heavy
On my soul.

The cars whizzed past in the cold
Winter twilight, bursting into view
Then as quickly fading out of sight.
Where were they bound? To their homes
And families. Behind each windshield
A heart, a soul in joy or pain, whose deepest
Thoughts and feelings are known to God alone.
O Lord you must be great to know and love
Each one with the same delicate intimacy
With which you love me.
Each one as dear to you as I am, your heart
Must be as big as the earth itself.

The earth is the heart of God, the place where
His dearest love resides. His joy and care, and
Deepest despair.
What can bring relief from the infinite grief,
Of a dear soul lost from fellowship, the deepest
Divine love?
O Lord, how can you stay above the rising
tide of tears
The crying hearts which mourn for their
Unknown loss?
What joy could overcome the fear and pain that
Splits the earth in half?
Only a joy as high as the sorrow is deep. For every
Valley there is a mountain; for every hole a hill
That slopes upward toward the blue.
Soaring where the air is thin, Your love swoops
Down into the valleys, to rescue us and begin
Long climb up again.
“Come to the sky, come away and fly. Come
to where your cares grow small
and your heart soars like a bird.
Give me you heart and you will soar”

Jeffrey Stultz
1979