Today in the short time I had I read a little of The Prelude by Wordsworth. I'm reading him because I had a shoddy college education (the burden of being a music major) and haven't read many of the "greats." Wordsworth is definitely one of the greats. His poetry captures the beauty of nature in a way that isn't overly lush or sweet but is realistic. The beautiful is beautiful. The stark is stark. The horrid is horrid. It is an honest poetry that is in its fullness beautiful.
I know others have made connections about theology and poetry, so I wont belabor the point. The starkness is something that perhaps theology should aspire for. As a preacher I am often painting a lush and moving picture of God and God's actions in the world. I am trying to capture the imagination of the people with flourishes of language. What if we just capture what is happening? Suffering happens, it sucks. Joy happens, it is good. Struggles happen, they are difficult. God is sometimes elusive. Jesus Christ is sometimes overwhelming. The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood. What if we truly captured Wordsworth's approach and not only captured the reality of theology in a stark and honest way, but did it with the romantic depth that is so evident in Wordsworth's poetry. This then would be powerful and profound theology.
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