Work and Contemplation by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

The woman singeth at her spinning-wheel
A pleasant chant, ballad or barcarole;
She thinketh of her song, upon the whole,
Far more than of her flax; and yet the reel
Is full, and artfully her fingers feel
With quick adjustment, provident control,
The lines–too subtly twisted to unroll–
Out to a perfect thread. I hence appeal
To the dear Christian Church–that we may do
Our Father’s business in these temples mirk,
Thus swift and steadfast, thus intent and strong;
While thus, apart from toil, our souls pursue
Some high calm spheric tune, and prove our work
The better for the sweetness of our song.

Ok, I haven’t had an English major moment for a while, but here is one.  In this poem, Elizabeth Barrett Browning is telling us that we can do our work here on this earth, while at the same time, contemplating what is to come, and what, in fact, already is in Christ Jesus.  Life becomes so much easier when we are focused on the right things.  I’m reminded of this verse from 2 Corinthians:

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18