Extravagance breathed alone in the darkness
Extravagance was content in infinite timelessness
but extravagance exploded with light
Extravagance imagined forms into being
Extravagance unfurled trees, flowers and buds of life
rocking the seas until they kissed newborn land
Extravagance traced the form of man with gentle fingers laden with love
Extravagance gave man his own likeness, sparing nothing of his own, even his own purity.
Extravagance provided timshel to his beloved own
and it was that extravagance which buoyed man above waves of destruction and inexplicable hurt
Extravagance spared a man’s only son
because he knew some yokes are too jolting, and burdens can be earth-crushing.
Extravagance called morsels of life down from the sky into desert wastelands
it crumbled walls with a single note
it passed over and passed over and passed over for hundreds of years
in the face of golden calves drenched in blood.
Extravagance called his prophets from the bellies of whales
gave food to the widow
clothed the orphan
Extravagance kissed the womb of the virgin
Extravagant love embraced the cold earth and manure-drenched hay of the stable
but Extravagance couldn’t keep angels from breaking open the sky, tears of joy streaming down their faces
Surely, those angels said, there’s nothing more extravagant than this!
Extravagance called Lazarus out of cobwebby death
and in Extravagant fashion he keep wine flowing at the wedding
Extravagance picked fisherman, who would understand the value of a catch
Extravagance dried the tears of a prostitute
gathered traitors and liars into his arms in Extravagant acceptance
Extravagance mystified heaven and hell
with bloody tears and sweat-stained prayers
The angels watched in horror at the Extravagance of their Lord
while love-formed men spit in the face of Extravagant servanthood.
It was his Extravagance that drove nails into unspared limbs
and timshel did its best to destroy the Extravagance that called it into being
Extravagance died as only the Extravagant could
utterly abandoned in extravagant disgrace…
But Extravagance could not be contained by darkness
and with radiant light, Extravagance rebuilt what was destroyed.
Extravagance bore that choking yoke, and was crushed by that burden
loved-formed men chose to die by.
Extravagance bore all this for the sake of an extravagant wedding
where no cost is spared.
In Extravagance love bore all, for the sake of the extravagant joy set before Him.