Rev Sani Vaeluaga, minister at Altona Meadows-Laverton and Lara Uniting Churches was inspired to write Look Up and See on Holy Saturday. His poem, published here in English and in Samoan, is based on Mark’s account (Mark 16:1-8) of the resurrection.
Look up and see the dawning of a new day
The grave that once held death
Now contains new life
The grave that once held an ending
Now becomes the opening of a new beginning
Look up and see a whole new life
Unfolding before you
God is doing a new thing
And it is scary but marvellous to behold
Behold, Look up and see
The unfolding of a new relationship with God
with others and with Christ
and give thanks for you are invited to share in it
Look up and see
Your shattered hopes and dreams
Now rekindled with a message to begin again
To share the new life with Christ…
You came and saw
Now go and tell
Go and see
Beyond your fear and amazement
Look up and hear the message for your hopes and prayers
That slowly and surely dilutes your grief and anxiety
On the road of duty and call of culture
Look up and feel the resurrected life
That invites you to respond:
Christ has been raised…
Go and tell the other disciples
He is going ahead of you
You will see him
Just as he told you
Look up and see the grace of God – the crucified and risen Christ,
who looks with the scars and pain of the First People crying out for justice;
he feels the longing of the poor; the refugees and asylum seekers; the marginalised; the lonely and the lost; the oppressed and the excluded.
He always looks
Before you
With you and
After you
Look up – Then look inward
Look up – Then look outward
For the crucified and risen Christ
Loves you
Calls you
And looks
With grace and faith in you –
Look up!
SAMOAN
Va’ai a’e ma iloa atu
Solo e Faavae I le Mareko 16:1-8 mo le Eseta 2018
Vaa’i a’e ma iloa atu I le tafa mai o ata o le taeao fou
O le tu’ugamau sa iai le oti
O lea ua iai le ola fou
O le tu’ugamau sa iai le i’uga
O lea ua avea ma avanoa o se amataga fou.
Va’ai a’e ma iloa atu le ola fou
Ua ataata mai i ou luma,
O se foafoaga fou ua faia e le Atua
E iai le fefe ae faauta i lona matagofie
Fa’auta, Va’ai a’e ma iloa atu
Le matala mai o se faia fou ma le Atua
ma isi tagata faapea Keriso
ma ia fa’afetai aua ua valaa’ulia oe e te au ai
Va’ai a’e ma iloa atu
Ou fa’amoemoega ma miti ua le taulau
Lea ua toe fuataina mai i le fea’u ma le valaa’u ‘ia toe amata’
Ia Molimau I le ola fou fa’atasi ma Keriso…
Ua e sau ma ua e va’ai
Alu la ia e molimau atu
Alu e va’ai
I tala atu o lou fefe ma lou ofo
Va’ai a’e ma fa’alogo atu i le feau mo ou fa’amoemoega ma tatalo
Na te liua lemu lou loto fa’anoanoa ma le le mautonu
I le auala o tiute masani ma le vala’au a tu ma aganu’u ua ola ai
Va’ai a’e ma pa’i atu i le ola ua au maia e le toe tu
O lo’o valaulia oe e te tali atu iai:
Ua fa’atuina Keriso
Alu la ia e molimau atu i isi o le a’uso’o
O lo’o muamua atu o Ia ia te outou
E tou te iloa fo’i o Ia
E pea ona Ia folafola atu ia te outou.
Va’ai a’e ma iloa atu le alofa tunoa o le Atua – le Keriso toe tu manumalo,
O lo’o va’ai atu ma manu’a ma tiga o ulua’i tagata o Ausetalia o loo fetagisi mo le fa’amasinoga tonu; o lo’o ia lagona manaoga o e matitiva; o le a’u sulufa’i ma e ua fa’atafea; o e ua agaleagaina; nofo to’atasi; o e ua leiloa; o e o pologa ma ua tagataesea.
E silasila pea o Ia
I aso ua mavae ao lei iai oe
I le taimi nei faatasi ma oe
I le lumana’i pe a mavae atu oe
Va’ai a’e – ona va’ai ifo lea oe ia te oe
Va’ai a’e – ona va’ai atu lea i isi tagata faapea le foafoaga
Aua o le Keriso toe tu manumalo
E alofa ia te oe
O loo valaau ia te oe
Ma sisila mai ona fofoga ia te oe
Ma le alofa tunoa ma le fa’atuatua ia te oe
Va’ai a’e!
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