I see you sitting alone in an empty chair

Sometimes a poem comes as a reminder, a wake up call from Spirit. It is so easy to forget, so easy not to see what is in front of us: the incredible mystery and wonder of Your being, and our being together. To sit in silence, open to Your presence, is what reconnects us to this knowing.  It is also important to recall our history, the story of how we came to this place where we can be fully present to Your Presence, the gift of this moment. I hope this poem helps us to recollect ourselves.

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I see you sitting alone in an empty chair,

In the furthest corner of the room, a figure in the shadows

Unnoticed or ignored by most in this place of worship.

We sit in silence, unaware of your presence in our midst,

Forgetting you are the reason we are here,

How you laid the foundation, showed the way to build and grow

A community rooted in perfect love,

How many suffered unbelievably
so they could hear you teach directly

And be guided by you alone.

How you led us to this place so humbly

We imagine we found it ourselves,

This place where we sit, seeking the peace that only you provide.

Inside me is an empty chair, where all too often you have been ignored,

As I went about my business, not yours, seeking to do my will, not yours,
forgetting who and whose I am.

Like a bull in a china shop, I sometimes broke the hearts of those you love,

Breaking the mirror through which I see so dimly.

I grieve at all the loss and hurt I’ve caused by my neglect, my foolish ways,

And yet you never blame, you sit and watch with eyes so full of love

I have to turn away, my eyes welling with tears,

Grateful for the merest glimpse of your unimaginable face.