I wrote this piece at the end of my first semester of seminary. I thought I would re-post it after I began my first week of my 2nd year. Enjoy!
tonight i realized i grasp god,
creature has roped the creator
i’ve cut god up into bite sized bits
i’ve filed him away in little drawers
i’ve cataloged him
i’ve labeled him
i’ve mastered him
like a naked David statue,
out of granite my god i have chiseled
i am michelangelo
but that’s the irony
it is not god i grasp,
the god of abraham
isacc and
jacob
i grasp
the god
i’ve chiseled
i’ve not unearthed
yahweh
i’ve crafted
yahweh
out of systematics
biblical theology
greek and hebrew lexicons
out of positions
and titles
responsibilities
and roles
i have fooled myself into believing
that the god i’ve crafted
is the god of the bible
and it’s left me arrogant
rather than humble
it’s filled me with words
instead of wonder
i talk and speak and think about him
rather than being and living and walking
it’s left me wanting
it’s left me dry
down to the
bones
lord
the real god
the god-with-us god
who invaded this world
in a wooden box
and left it
on beams
of execution
replace my chisel and hammer
with brushes and air
to unearth you
and discover you
rather than
create you
lord
may i be a child again
may i come to you with
cupped hands
may i speak to you in
hushed tones
may my understanding of you
ever shift
may i sit before you in
wide-eyed wonder
and may I discover you
a new
lord
make me a child again
Amazingly simple and profound.
May we always be a child before the Wholly Other.
Beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted. “it’s filled me with words instead of wonder” – packs a wallop of meaning into just 8 simple words. Nicely done. I’ll probably steal it some time. Don’t worry, though, I’ll either disguise it enough so I could never be accused of plagiary. Or, I’ll give you credit. Maybe a little of both.
you should write more poetry
Thanks folks! I really don’t think of myself as all that poetic (maria) and all that creative of a writer…And Pistol, feel free to use (or steal!) my words for your own purposes 🙂
I have discoverd this site due to a comment you made on Ds Attie blog (South Africa). Michigan was actually the word that caught my eye as my uncle use to stay in Detroit and thought, let me see what your site is about.
Your poem is really beautiful and I will visit your site often as I do need some insparation daily.
Glad you were encouraged Zee, though I think it was John Frye’s comment that brought you here…he was signed in under my name in Attie’s blog 🙂 Anyway, I hope you stick around and give comments from an African perspective, cause Lord knows this white USAmerican needs it!!!
nice.
I like it. No, I dig it. Really.