Rope Of His Attentive Love

Rope Of His Attentive Love
© Surazeus
2026 10 25

Sunlight streams in stained-glass window of Christ 
as Shepherd herding sheep in river vale 
inside the Seventh-day Adventist Church 
on hilltop in small town of Keene in Texas 
where people in flower dresses and suits 
gather on Saturday morning for Sabbath. 

Exiting the large Sabbath School classroom 
with his leather Bible pressed to his chest, 
Albert glides with large crowd in long hallways 
and downstairs to main sanctuary hall 
where he sits beside his mother and sisters, 
but hopes to see sweet angel of his heart. 

Pastor Ron Halverson, who had grown up 
as a Beachcomber gangster in Brooklyn, 
steps up to the podium on the broad stage, 
looking like Stephen King in a gray suit, 
and points up to stained-glass window of Christ 
to illustrate his role as selfless Savior. 

The Lord of Truth is Shepherd of my soul, 
for his bounty supplies all that I need, 
so I lie in pasture by tranquil stream 
after his guidance through dark vale of fear 
restores my soul with fruit from Tree of Life 
when we feast in safe haven of his care. 

When I was young in wild streets of New York, 
my friends and I would play a dangerous game 
where we would tie long rope of haughty faith 
on southern side of the high Brooklyn Bridge, 
then dive into swift tide of the East River 
that flows swift to the Upper New York Bay. 

Diving down in swift tides of the East River, 
that flushes back and forth for hours each day, 
is like our plunge into flow of desire, 
so we would have to breathe deep breath of hope 
and swim up fast enough to grab the rope, 
or tides of greed would sweep our souls away. 

Our Shepherd Jesus reaches down his hand 
with loving gesture of the bridge-bound rope, 
so we must reach our hands with honest faith 
to grab strong rope of his attentive love 
and climb with faith back to the sturdy bridge 
to secure our place in Heaven with God. 

After they sing the hymn Amazing Grace, 
Albert searches through the large milling crowd 
till he finds Daphne Stuart in green dress 
with blue eyes and gold curly hair who smiles 
when he gives her small box of chocolate, 
and she gives him her painting of a horse.