Erling Thu

Category: Poems

  • Seeing glimpses of God

    To be somebody is to see glimpses of God

    at unexpected moments

    in the song of a bird

    in the sparkles of light on water

    in the scent or the sight of the ocean

    in the hint of springtime on a mild winter day

    in the innocent smile of a baby

    in the wrinkles in the face of your mother

    in the enduring love of your wife

    in the care of your neighbours

    in the green sprout of a dandelion break through black tarmac

    in an eagle soaring the sky

    in an old fashioned postcard or a modern text message on the cell phone

    Written after having read "The secret message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren

  • Longing for release

    To be somebody is to long for release

    -from mundane existence

    -from confining walls of finitude

    -from the slavery of mortality

    -from entertainments and obsessions

    from distractions of every sort

    To be somebody is to long for

    -a greater reality

    -a greater beauty

    -a purer presence of goodness

    -a fuller enjoyment of God

    Written after having read "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren

  • Being pure of heart

    To be somebody is being pure of heart

    -being free from self-interest

    -being free from selfish ambitions

    -being free from wrong reactions of mistrust and suspicion

    When you are pure of heart

    -you listen with understanding

    -you listen with goodwill

    -you are open to new ideas

    -you are receptive and creative,

    looking for the beautiful dream

    springing forth from the innocent eyes of your neighbour

  • Being yourself

    To be somebody is to be yourself,

    Fully confident of whom you are,

    Humbly fulfilling the purpose of your life,

    Serving others in peace and harmony,

    Living a holistic life,

    Fully integrating meaning and purpose

    In everything you do.

    When you are accepting yourself

    –         created in the image of the Creator

    You will be yourself in a creative way,

    Confidently exploring the talents given to you,

    Blessing and serving your neighbours,

    Releasing them to develop their own unique gifts.

    When you dare to be yourself

    You help others to be free

    –         from the fear of men

    –         from the tyranny of accepted opinions

    When you dare to be yourself

    You prove to yourself that you are somebody

    And people around you will look up to you

  • Creating life

    To be somebody is to create life

    In dead material

    – and among living persons

    Giving dead material a new form that speaks.

    Making imagination pregnant, exuberant, fruitful.

    Generating new forms of life

    By sowing dream-seeds and new thought patterns,

    Releasing talents and empowering people.

    To be somebody is to be full of life and joy

    In such a way that you are contagious,

    Rubbing of joy, optimism, faith and love

    To all people you touch during the day.

    When you live your dream you will create life

    In people who is catching your joy

    And starts dreaming their own dreams.

  • Refusing to abort a defect foetus.

    To be somebody is to refuse abort a defect foetus

    When all the medical experts

    Advise you to end the life that you carry in your womb.

    It is to choose to trust the Creator of life

    To let the embryo develop its own way,

    And not to interfere to end the life of the handicapped child.

    In spite of all the medical facts you are confronted with,

    You choose to give the foetus, the child in your womb, a chance.

    To be somebody is to choose to give birth

    To a child with severe defects,

    To carry it for nine months under your heart,

    Only to bring forth a stillborn baby.

    To be somebody is to give thanks to God

    With streams of tears from your eyes

    When you suffer the terrible loss of a daughter:

    Thank you God for being so merciful and good!

    Thank you for creating our beautiful Natalie.

    Thank you for taking her into your presence

    Even before she ever felt any pain or worry.

    Thank you for being my faithful Father,

    For being my mighty comforter, helper and friend.

    Thank you for raising a shelter around us

    Of dear family and close covenant friends.

    You are my peace, my life, my world,

    My foundation, my all and everything.

    Words cannot express,

    Oh, how I love you!

    This poem is written in the honour Nina and Per Filip Osland for their decision not to end the life of their defect daughter through abortion when the doctors put heavy pressure on them. When the child was stillborn after nine months of pregnancy, Per Filip wrote the most beautiful thanksgiving to God. I admire my two young friends. They are true heroes of faith. They are really somebody. I am proud of knowing precious people like Nina and Per Filip! They make this world a more beautiful place to live through their devotion to serve life only.

  • Standing on your own feet

    To be somebody is to stand on your own feet,

    Choosing your own way,

    Breaking new ground,

    As you keep to the straight and narrow path.

    When you are standing upright

    With your head lifted high,

    While you receive scorn and mockery,

    As token of distinction,

    And marks of honour,

    Then you are showing the inner strength

    That makes you a real somebody!

  • Being remembered

    To be somebody is being remembered

    On a very ordinary birthday,

    By wife, children and grandchildren,

    By family and friends,

    By people near and far away,

    Through e-cards, phone calls and text messages.

    Being remembered on a birthday,

    Is a token of love and appreciation,

    Making you feel you are somebody.

    But really, it is the person who remembers another person

    And care enough to express his or her love

    Who is somebody!

    To be somebody is to forget about oneself

    To remember our neighbour

    And think about our other people’s need

  • Praying for friends

    To be somebody is to pray for your friends

    when pain in your body keeps you awake

    and don’t allow you to sleep

    but your care, concern and love are overcoming the pain

    and causing you to pray with such fervour and zeal

    that you transcend the aching body.

    When you are able to forget your own pain

    because you care for your friends

    and must lift them up to the Throne of Grace

    you show yourselves to be A Great Somebody

    able to deny your own needs to meet those of others!

  • A historic person

    To be somebody is being a historic person

    born into history by real parents

    raised in a family of brothers or sisters

    educated in a public school system

    -but climbed above the average

    -by becoming self taught

    -in skills of life and spiritual wisdom

    Being a historic person born into history

    -not just to flow with the current trends

    -but to create new trends

    -set an example

    To be somebody is to motivate change in people

    -to change the course of history

    -by many followers