The Poetry of Faith

Excerpt from Psalm 19 (RSV)

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

I really don't read a lot of poetry. Most of the time it is because I find that I have a hard time understanding just what is said, but then there are times a poem gets to me.  As T.S. Eliot said “Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” There is something about poetry that has the tendency to capture our attention and have us thinking differently.

I am thankful that our Biblical canon is replete with usage of poetry. Why? Because poetry helps us wrestle and grasp at the indescribable about ourselves and God. Using figurative language or word play, poems help us name lament, thanksgiving, joy, and so much more by bypassing the head and heading straight to the heart. 

Faith might be more like poetry than I initially thought because it too moves me beyond my usual way of engaging the world. Instead of reason and plain explanation, faith moves me to listen deeply to the world breathe in and out the poetry of sunsets and faithful actions.

Sunday we will be looking at how we engage the world and so I will invite us to "Feast on Eternal Truth" that brings a life that abides both heart and soul together with God and one another.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Brian