The Valley of Vision
This is one of the coolest images I’ve heard in quite some time. quoted in Tullian’s book Unfashionable, Puritan Arthur Bennett describes how paradoxical the Christian perspective really ought to be. These timeless reminders (written in 1975) are put beautifully in his prayer:
Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to this valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory.
Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from the deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.
