The Bride: A young woman waits in her father’s house.
Every day is long until the cool night comes at last,
every night is a forever as she waits for the dawn to come.
‘How long?’ She sighs.
‘How long until he comes?’
And she sings softly:
‘Let me see your face,
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.’
The Journey of the Ark
King David and his retinue carry the burden, it is a sacred, dangerous vessel, hedged about with reverence and precaution, for the sake of the men who bear it; it is the resting place of The Lord and reassurance of His abiding Presence.
Awed by the power of his charge, the king has it carried to the house of Obed. Those who walk on ahead call out and the doors fly open before them. As the bearers enter, a cry of joy goes up from all the household.
The Ark rests there for three months, and all who live in that family and all those who serve them are blessed by the Presence among them.
The Virgin Sets Out
Her feet go swiftly out of her home and up into the hills. She is the Woman who has always waited on her Lord, longing to see His face. Now she carries Him to the place He sends her. She is awed by the presence within her, but she has no fear; she is moved by her Lord’s will alone.
The King Dances
At last, the King returns and has the ark carried out of the house, up to the city of David. His party journeys on with the sound of rejoicing, singing, and the ringing of musical instruments echoing through the hills. King David goes on ahead of his Lord, leaping and dancing in an ecstasy of adoration and worship, bounding up from the ground like a gazelle and whirling around before his joyful people.
The Friend of the Bridegroom Leaps Up
When she reaches the house of her kinswoman, she calls out as the door is opened and a great cry comes from the courtyard. Elizabeth comes out, full in her blooming pregnancy, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary rests in the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth for three months.
The Bride Hears Her Beloved Approach
The Bridegroom approaches and the bride calls out:
‘The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.’
The Coming Beloved
As the bride runs from her room the sunlight streams in, and a fragrance surrounds her, and the sound of birds sing as it must have been. Eden in the near distance, she hears his voice:
‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past.
The rain is over and gone.
As the Virgin comes close to her time she turns her gaze inward, seeing the face of her child with the eyes of her heart. She stills, wondering about the sound of His voice, who is the Word of God. Elizabeth’s blessing returns to her mind:
‘… blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’
