“…proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night”
(Psalm 92:2 NIV)
Poems to Orient You as You Embark on a New Day
It is fitting at the dawn of the day to read these 4th century companion poems by Gregory Bishop of Nazianzus. Gregory is remembered as an advocate for the decrees made at the Council of Nicaea and as a defender of the Christian doctrine of the trinity.
The first poem is a morning prayer and the second an evening prayer. Gregory begins his day with a vow (a resolution) to obey God wholeheartedly and without exception. He ends the day, as we often do, in failure and repentance—having to acknowledge his sin before God. However, all is not lost. In both poems, Gregory puts his hope fully in Jesus.
It is interesting that these poems, which are outwardly focused on the poet’s ambition and experience, both draw our attention finally to the work of Christ. This redirection of our gaze from ourselves to our Savior is one of the chief objects of Christian devotional poetry.
“A Morning Prayer”
‘Tis dawn: to God I lift my hand,
To regulate my way;
My passions rule, and unmoved stand,
And give to Thee the day:Not one dark word or deed of sin,
Nor one base thought allow;
But watch all avenues within,
And wholly keep my vow.Shamed were my age, should I decline;
Shamed were Thy table too,
At which I stand the will is mine:
Give grace, my Christ, to do.
“A Hymn At Night, After Failure to Keep Vow”
O Thou, the Word of truth divine!
All light I have not been,
Nor kept the day as wholly Thine;
For Thou dark spots hast seen.The day is down: night hath prevailed:
My Lord I have belied;
I vowed, and thought to do, but failed;
My steps did somewhere slide.There came a darkness from below
Obscuring safety’s way.
Thy light, O Christ, again bestow;
Turn darkness into day.(Gregory Bishop of Nazianzus, 330-389. Translated from the original Greek by Allen W. Chatfield, 1876.)[1]
Understanding Gregory’s Reflections
Here are a few explanations of some of the phrases in this poem, that might help you more deeply appreciate Gregory’s poems!
I lift my hand: In the ancient world, speakers would raise their hands to the gods when making vows much as we raise our hand in a courtroom to take an oath. Gregory offers his morning prayer as an oath in God’s court.
Shamed were my age: Gregory is acknowledging that his obedience is not merely a private matter. He represents Christ to a watching world. Greek and Roman court cases were heard by large juries of a defendant’s peers. This image evokes that ancient audience as well as the “great cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1-2.
Shamed were thy table too: Ancient oaths were often sealed by making an animal sacrifice. Gregory’s oath of obedience is sealed by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which is represented by the bread and wine on the communion table. Sin taken lightly shames or cheapens Christ’s sacrifice (Romans 6). Because Gregory was a bishop, he would have been responsible for administering communion (the table at which he stands). This responsibility surely increased the urgency he felt to not bring shame upon it.
The will is mine: Give grace, my Christ, to do. This is a surprising conclusion to a poem which resolves to stand unmoved and to wholly keep a vow. Gregory turns his gaze to Christ and pleads for grace as if already acknowledging that his will is not enough.
In the Hymn at Night, Gregory turns the image of light and darkness in several directions to represent: purity vs. sin (stanza 1), victory vs. failure (stanza 2), good vs. evil (stanza 3), and hope vs. despair (stanza 3). Darkness seems to prevail as spots mar the light, day falls, and the way is obscured. In the end, however, hope triumphs over despair because the poet fixes his eyes on Christ. The light of Christ will turn all darkness into day. This is our consolation and our confidence.
Prayer: Father, as we embark upon a new day, help us fix our eyes on Christ who is our strength for every task and the redeemer of our failed ones. In all that we endeavor to do this week, help us humbly rest on your grace and place our hope securely in your promises. All glory is yours for all that we are able to do and accomplish. Amen.
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Sources
[1] Chatfield, Allen W. Songs and Hymns of the Earliest Greek Poets. 1876. Published online as part of the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.