Day Forty Two - The Agony in the Garden

The Agony in the Garden is a small painting by William Blake, completed as part of his 1799–1800 series of Bible illustrations commissioned by his patron and friend Thomas Butts. The work illustrates a passage from the Gospel of Luke which describes Christ's turmoil in the Garden of Gethsemane before his arrest and Crucifixion following Judas's betrayal.

In Blake's painting a brilliantly coloured and majestic angel breaks through the surrounding darkness and descends from a cloud to aid and physically support Jesus in his hour of agony. The work is dominated by vertical lines, formed both from the trees and from the two arms of the angel. Two inner lines converge on Christ's palms, evoking the nails driven through him during his crucifixion.

The Agony in the Garden was bequeathed by Blake collector Graham Robertson to the National Trust in 1948. It was acquired by the Tate Gallery the following year.

The words, “Is it nothing to you, that I bow my head, and nothing to you that my blood is shed” from Stainer's Crucifixion were the music that accompanied my thoughts as these words were written.

The Garden of Gethsemane

Spoken aloud ..

.... Nothing? .... Nothing? ....

Was it nothing? ....

Shedding blood .....

...third day ....rising up ....

Was it nothing? …..

God made man

Earth's new plan ...

Promised ...

Given ...

fulfilled ....

Was it nothing?

Curtain rent ... top to toe

Time now spent ......

Nothing?....

Access given

Spirit sent

Churches build

Nations changed

Future gained

World taught

of all He sought

Relationship broken

Now repaired

Spoken..

Taught..

Filled..

Wrought..

Made whole again .......

My God....

What joy....

All by Your pain.......

Nothing? .....

No! No! not nothing..

A life regained

A worldwide change

Rules for living

Loving

Neighbours... friends ...

Even enemies bend

To hear good news ...

Gospel message

Of God’s own Son

Made now as one ....

Returned to save

Each one of us

That day ...

In the garden ...

Now will we turn …

To?… or from?...

Is that message

Just too strong ….

In all He did

It was for me..

For you….

To show His love…

Too big?…

Mighty? …

Almighty! …

Do we reject?..

Can we take on

Such love, such love …

Yet He made possible…

What we find difficult…

Such Love ….

Such love …

Yes!! Such love

We can know..

It’s real

It does show

Shines through our lives

We see and know

We witness to that love

As we grow…

Slowly…

We grow…

To know…

His love….

His Joy…

And peace….

Turn back again …

And hear His word…

Know His peace....

Turn back again …

Read His book…

Know His Love….

Be Still….

Be still before your Lord

And hear His love..

in your heart …

There just for you ….

Wrought...

In pain ...

In suffering ...

Spoken aloud ..

.... Nothing? .... Nothing? ....

Was it nothing? ....

©Adrian Burr June 2008

Note: In this form of poem the dots denote pauses. The more dots the longer the pause.

Adrian Burr