Prayer of Paradox

For those of you who already know me, you know that I am a little obsessive about the role of paradox and faith. Imagine my delight, then, when I found this little prayer in a Puritan prayer book while preparing for my new American literature class! I think I'm going to bring it in tomorrow to class.

The Valley of Vision

LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly,
Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,
where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;
hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox
that the way down is the way up,
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess it all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to recieve,
that the valley is the place of vision.
Lord, if the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,
and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;
Let me find thy light in my darkness,
thy life in my death,
thy joy in my sorrow,
thy grace in my sin,
thy riches in my poverty,
thy glory in my valley.