NeuroDivine

Along the bog‑road, dawn alights

1
Along the bog‑road, dawn alights
On heather, gold and green;
Your table waits where curlew calls,
A feast of grace unseen.

2
For we were sold to grief and fear,
To exile’s weary place;
Yet You, without a coin or cost,
Have bought us back by grace.

3
You break the bread like autumn fields
Where barley bends in light;
You pour the cup like mountain streams
That run through silent night.

4
The redbreast on the hawthorn twig,
The otter by the weir,
All creatures share the hush of love
When You, O Christ, draw near.

5
So gather us, like scattered seed,
To knead us into one;
Redeemed without a price but love,
Made whole in You, the Son.

Hymn information

First line: Along the bog-road, dawn alights
Text: Michael McFarland Campbell
Metre: CM
Theme: Redeemed by Grace. Isaiah 52:3

Reflection

Some hymns are built like cathedrals—heavy, intentional, and structured. Others arrive like the morning mist over a bog road: quiet, unbidden, and inevitable. This hymn belongs to the mist.

The Sacramental Wild

In the Irish landscape, the world often feels sacramental. The cry of a curlew across the marsh or the first light catching the gold of the heather isn’t just scenery; it is a whisper of a deeper presence. As these verses took shape, the Eucharistic heart of the poem began to beat through the soil. I realized that Christ’s table isn’t confined to stone walls—it is set in the open fields, where bread is mirrored in the bending barley and the cup is found in the rush of mountain streams.

Redemption Without Price

The core of the hymn draws from the well of Isaiah 52:3. There is a profound, almost scandalous mystery in the idea of being “bought back” without silver or gold. In a world defined by cost and transaction, the poem explores a redemption paid for only in love. It is a grace that doesn’t just save the soul, but gathers a scattered people—like seeds into a single loaf—to make them whole.

The Hush of Creation

Ultimately, the writing process served as a reminder that the Eucharist is more than a ritual; it is a cosmic pause. From the redbreast on the hawthorn to the otter by the weir, all of creation seems to hold its breath when the Divine draws near. This hymn is an invitation to stand in that hush and realize we have already been found.

VisioDivina

This hymn is accompanied by a visual meditation. To view the curated AI-generated image for this piece, visit its companion page at Received Light.

Copyright

© Michael McFarland Campbell. 2026. 
Permission granted for local church or parish use with attribution. Not for commercial reproduction.