Poem: THE ADVOCATE AND THE ANCIENT LIGHT 1 John 2

My little children, soft the plea,
As from a voice beside the sea,
These words are written, firm yet mild,
To guide the heart, to guard the child;
That sin may lose its subtle claim,
And souls not wander into shame.
Yet if one falls along the way,
An Advocate begins to pray.

Before the throne of holy flame,
There stands a righteous, living Name;
Not robed in wrath, but mercy crowned,
Where justice and compassion sound.
He is the offering, full and wide,
For all the world, for sin applied;
No narrow stream, no partial grace,
But mercy flowing for our race.

And by this sign the truth is known,
Not by the word the lips have sown,
But by the path the feet have trod,
In keeping with the will of God.
For he who claims, “I know Him well,”
Yet walks where disobedience dwell,
Speaks hollow things, devoid of light,
A fading echo in the night.

But he who keeps that sacred word,
Finds love perfected, deeply stirred;
A flame that grows, both pure and strong,
A life in which we now belong.
To walk as He, in flesh, once trod,
Is not a dream too high for man,
But calling pressed by gracious hand,
To follow where the Savior ran.

No new command these lines impart,
But ancient truth to wake the heart;
A word once heard from days of old,
Yet ever fresh, yet ever bold.
For darkness fades and light appears,
Breaking the weight of former years;
And he who loves his brother stands
In open light, with steady hands.

But hatred casts a blinding veil,
Where wandering feet and sight both fail;
The soul that walks in bitter night
Has lost the path, has quenched the light.
O let no root of wrath remain,
Nor hidden seeds of quiet disdain;
For love alone reveals the way
That leads the soul to endless day.

I write to you whose sins are gone,
Forgiven through the Holy One;
To fathers strong in ancient sight,
Who know the Everlasting Light;
To young men firm, whose strength has stood,
Who’ve overcome through truth and good;
To children small, yet richly blessed,
Who in the Father’s love now rest.

Love not the world, its passing show,
Its fleeting fire, its hollow glow;
The lust that burns, the pride that swells,
Are but the sound of empty shells.
These things will fade as shadows flee,
They hold no root in eternity;
But he who does God’s will shall stand,
Unmoved within His endless land.

Even now the hour grows late,
And many rise in subtle hate;
False voices whisper through the air,
Denying truths once held with care.
They went from us, yet were not bound
In truth where steadfast hearts are found;
For had they been of us indeed,
They would have stayed in word and deed.

But you, anointed, need not fear,
For truth itself has drawn you near;
It teaches, guards, and lights the way,
And bids your restless soul to stay.
Abide in Him, let nothing sever
The bond that holds your heart forever;
For when He comes in glory bright,
You’ll stand unashamed within His sight.

And if you know that He is right,
In all His ways, in truth and light,
Then know as well, both sure and clear,
That those who walk in Him are near;
Born not of will, nor fleshly claim,
But fashioned in His holy name—
A people marked by righteous flame.

BDD