Sometimes it takes a drought to value water
Poverty to recognize our wealth,
Barrenness to celebrate the harvest,
The heat to appreciate the cold.
I do not pray to be afflicted,
I can’t believe that’s how you work,
But when those times come, as they will,
I pray that I will learn and grow.
Reflections from this evening’s service.
(06.07.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Maud CORREA on Unsplash
A journey’s start is critical.
The way we start sets expectations,
The foundations on which we’ll stand,
When difficulties dampen spirits,
And doubts threaten to drag us down.
Lord, help me perceive the light in darkness.
Tonight at church we tussled with this difficult story in Acts 5. It always makes me wince. I sense there’s a way into reconciling myself to it in its context of being at the start of a journey.
(29.01.25)
© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Thanos Pal on Unsplash
Sometimes, the most eloquent prayer is silence.
It says I cannot feel your pain because
I do not walk the path you tread, it’s yours.
In ignorance, I have no words to give;
those I possess will not suffice, meaning
speaking belittles your experience.
And so, like Job, I hold my hand across
my mouth to offer you the best I can.
As a church minister, I frequently find myself with people facing suffering. I’ve learnt that the best thing to say is often nothing at all. The best thing is to simply be there with them.
(17.08.23)
© Ben Quant 2023
Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash
Ode for the Day 