The Problem with Christian Poets

It is not easy to do Christian poetry. The problem is that scripture has done it well. Worship music does it well. Also, poetry wants to be very relatable. It is intimate. Songs are a great girl at a party you flirt with. Poems are your best friends. You know their secrets and they know yours.

So the issue with Christian poets is that you can't be abstract. "Mighty to Save" is a powerful line when we all sing it out loud together. However, it is not entirely personal. I don't know what it means necessarily. I am not sure what it has to do with God. It is vague.

Saying "majesty," "glory," and "splendor" over and over again creates a vague and empty poem. Show me the splendor. Show me the majesty. David does this a lot. He uses metaphors and imagery. Job 42 uses imagery to show the depth of God's glory and majesty.

Show don't Tell. Rule number one of writing. However, it is is the number one thing Christian poets fall into. They write a lot of sermons that rhyme.

It is rare to find such a quality poet sharing the gospel. Poems can share the depths of brokenness as well as the height of mercy. They show God. They don't just talk about him.

So John Blase is a pleasure to find. He is a lily among the thorns. He has a blog where he posts quality stuff. Seriously quality stuff. I am honored to direct you there.

Here are two of his poems that really stuck out to me, Remember your Feel First glasses to shape how you approach this poem. Don't get caught up in theology, get caught up in feelings.

January Psalm
By John Blase

But the heart is different. It never
forgets. It sings the song of nevertheless
until the final note then stops, silenced
by what we call death. (Selah)
Then it is recalibrated to its own
predestined alleluia and slowly, the heart
begins to remember and sings.



"It sings the song of nevertheless" beautiful.

Also, this beautiful one. Again, don't worry about theology. Worry about finding Christ in the beauty. Feel First.

Surely, This
By John Blase

I am religious but not spiritual.
Give me a moment to explain.
I declare this because I hold the
responsibility of religion is to
make the important visible.
To say I am spiritual but not
religious leaves me bereft of
braided thorns and spilt blood
and a pierced side. These scars
crown my living with a palpable
passion, the only semantic that
might cause one to pause and
say surely, this man believes.


A lot of this poem is can come off as pedantic and preachy. However, it all hinges on an image. It hinges on an emotion.

I encourage you to check out his blog. A lot of what he is going is incredible and even more Show and less Tell than what I am sharing with you now.

Grace and Peace,
Rory