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Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Where are the poets?

Every American needs to see the movie "Hidden Figures."  It addresses so many things that are good and bad about our country while inspiring toward the good. Without going further by reviewing it, I simply encourage you to see it if possible. 

Among the rich texture of the entire movie there is one scene, actually a cameo, of President John Kennedy that I can't get out of my thoughts.  It is a clip of President Kennedy inspiring the national imagination toward the moon. I'm not sure if this is the one in the movie, but here is a link to a portion of one of his "moon speeches." Please watch and/or listen!

What strikes me and holds me is not so much the topic of space exploration, even though that in itself if inspiring, but rather the spirit and language of the speech. The spirit encompasses a knowledge of history that moves us forward. The language is eloquent, not in a flashy or manipulative sense but eloquent in that the words seem to be precisely chosen and arranged to inspire, in short - poetic.

There is a phrase in Paul's Letter to the Ephesians (2:10) that says "We are God's creation" or "we are what God has made us."  The Greek says "We are God's poiema," or poetry

We are God's poetry. We are expressions of God’s creative Spirit giving us dual status as created and as creators. We are both art and artist, poem and poet. Whenever or whatever we humans create comes from the innate, incarnate Spirit of God at the core of our being.

Where are the poet leaders today inspiring us toward our own poetry and goodness?


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