I wrote this poetic homily for a spoken word workshop for Swiss Reformed pastors. The workshop ended with an event called “Preacherslam” where it was performed before a congregation.

Bible Text

You have set my feet in a broad place.
Du stellst meine Füsse auf weiten Raum. – Psalm 31:9

Homily

You have set my feet in a broad place;
A place I never knew.
A place so big it holds the world, and all the planets too.
A place my grandma talked about, where all of life’s distress
Evaporates, like morning dew, and every soul is blessed.
Blessed to dance without a song,
And blessed to sing without a tune.

Blessed to ring without a bell, and rise above this earthly hell.
A hell so small, it crushes you, and squeezes out your tears,
And a hell so dark, it crushes me, and brings to light my fears.

And yet, You have put me in a good place.
A place so rich, the poor can spend their wealth without a dime,
And a place my mother talks about, where late is always time.
A place where “friends to enemies” is not enough to mend,
But wounds are healed by enemies, who join the fam as kin.

O yes, You have put us in a good place;
A Table filled with bread.
Where wine is poured with hands of hope, and hopelessness is dead.
So now I come to prop my feet, and watch it all so broad.
While planets pass, and earth is still.

The Gift, the Grace
The Gift, this Place
The Gift, the Grace of God.

Peace.

This poem is © Scotty J. Williams