Today I had the privilege of hearing Gayle Danley’s poetry in Walters Art Museum listening to the poets in the African American Family Festival. Ms. Gayle gave several moving poems, including one about her daughter’s attempted suicide. I was listening to Ms. Gayle and thought to myself “This is poetry.” When you think of poetry, you think of the type of words that can melt hearts of ice. You hope the poet will turn your stony heart to flesh, at least for a moment. And you hope the poet will make you confront your deepest fears, even while you are hoping at the same time not to unlock those eternally hidden places. Yes, you all know what I’m talking about–
Poetry is when the word comes alive
Poetry is the word with flesh and bones
[Could this be why the largest book in the Bible is a poetry compilation?] The Word becomes flesh, but unlike normal men, can be both in both public and secret places at the same time. Ms. Gayle’s words certainly touched the hidden place, and softened the heart, but most of what she recited is best left in the moment.
While I cannot do justice to most of her poetry, one line is possible to share outside of context without losing meaning:
I’m in my promised land, what’s yours?
She several times spoke to us about how her family and friends couldn’t understand her career choice. “There’s no money.” “Nobody will know who you are.” “How will you make it?” “How will you provide for yourself?” And while a lot of that may be true, she reminded us life is not about money, but about the promise.
It made me think. When God walks with us, he makes us promises. Some of us may even make promises to God. But God’s promises are the reliable ones. They are what we can take to the bank. But in the moment, for us, the next step and its outcome is often unknown. Instead of taking the risky next step with God, we pursue the alternatives that are “secure.” And after rejecting God’s risks over and over again, we find ourselves locked in the “security” of doing something we are not designed to do. Are you just going through the motions in life, or are you working out God’s promise?