By the Waters of Babylon
Psalm 137; John 14:16, 27; Psalm 96:1; 1
Peter 1:8; Acts 2:4
BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON
I can sing the Lord’s song
because the Paraclete
resides in me
healing the fissures in my heart
and filling every enclave
with joy unspeakable.
He fills me
from the basement
to the rafters
till I burst forth in language
none can understand
and speak sweet secrets to the Lord.
By the waters of Babylon
I shall sing a new song
that shall exalt the Lord;
for the bondages of circumstance
cannot contain the freedom within
nor the joy that like quicksilver
courses through my arteries.
His word satisfies
more than delectable food
and the Paraclete releases
the flood of living water within my belly.
By the waters of Babylon
I find peace unaccountable
in adversity
knowing full well
that ephemeral pain
cannot blur the vision
of the eternal kingdom where I dwell.
IN LAST MONTH’S “Page From The Past” column, we reprinted an article about Kampong Kapor Methodist Church’s Mandarin Ministry from the Oct 1988 issue of Methodist Message. We failed to clarify that the worship time indicated in the original article reflected the 4pm service time 20 years ago. KKMC’s Mandarin Ministry now meets for worship services every Sunday at 2pm instead. We’re sorry for our error!
Dr Oliver Seet is a member of Wesley Methodist Church and a Board Director of the Metropolitan YMCA.