Some Reflections On Violence - A Spoken Word

A Video Response to "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus"

So, recently, a video has been floating around sites like Facebook that's getting quite a bit of attention. It is titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus". There are many errors in the video as far as I'm concerned and in my own video spoken word response, I point some of those out. Here it is:

*Update/Just a Note:* So much of western Christianity is about the self and feeling good and emotions. Yet, that's precisely not what Paul and the other early Christians were about. So, where does some of this come from? Well, partially from a philosopher named WFG Hegel, who saw the world in counterparts. Good/evil, black/white, etc. This is part of where we get the grace/law, grace/works dichotomies. Then, when you add the earlier Christian thinker Martin Luther into the equation, the one who misread Paul as an apostle who, like himself, was torn apart with internal conflict, you get the problematic view of justification. Where Luther did a lot of good, this, I believe, he got wrong. Unfortunately, it has stuck and it has become a popular view among modern Christians. Pitting grace against law/works is often done, as with Luther, on an emotionalistic basis. That was the gateway to Luther's interpretation: his emotions! He "felt" free from the Law and he "felt" good about himself finally. But the problem is, his reading was anachronistic to a great degree! Neither Jesus, Paul, nor any other ancient Jew (or early Christian for that matter) was anti-Law or held to a grace/works or grace/Law dichotomy promoted in the video I'm responding to. In fact, at the end of Galatians, Paul rejoices in the Law and can even refer to it as the Law of Christ. And that my friends, is precisely the problem with this video floating around! As I said to a friend, at least he tried. So, it's not that I'm being antagonistic toward him as much as it is that I am attempting to entering into conversation with him, attempting to help him understand the historical roots of where his views come from, something he may or may not know (but judging by the content of the video, he most likely doesn't). Certainly, my video is not nearly as nicely done (I don't have that kind of equipment) and will not get played or sent around as much as his (that's perfectly fine), but if I got him to watch it and to learn something, I will have felt like I did a good thing! And really, that raises another issue: The notion that if something is aesthetically pleasing or professionally done, it is good or even right. If we stop and think for a moment, however, we realize that this is not always the case.

Here Comes January: A Spoken Word Reflecting On 2010

Here's a Spoken Word I just wrote titled "Here Comes January". It is a both a reflection on the events of 2010 (for a list see HERE) and a lookin' forward to those of 2011. Enjoy!

This Week In (Virtual) Prayer: Pt. 1

                                  M   T   W   Th   F   S   Su

• When Painting Advent
• Refound
• Your Pneumatic Essence
• Bosom Friend
• Heart To Heart
• I Will Pray For Presence
• An Acrostic Prayer

(Click the title of the prayer to visit the site)

Advent: A Spoken Word Poem

Here is a brief little "Spoken Word" that I wrote for Advent 2010. (*Update: I have also added an audio-only version below*)



(Audio version)

The Common Writer

The one who has
A Masters of Divinity
Has mastered Divinity not
And the one who has
Mastered the pen
Eventually becomes a blot

For the writer’s words
Outlive the writer, yes
The page is their home to dwell
Made up of many letters
And old recycled characters
It’s really Time’s story to tell

-T. Michael W. Halcomb, Dec. 2010
Inspired by George Steiner’s “Uncommon Reader”

Dear Scripture

Dear Scripture,

I want you to know that I appreciate you. Some scoff at you and judge you by your cover and some remain perplexed. I know you've been beat down and used up but I also know how beautifully you read. I know you intimately. I know your history, you've told me a thousands times. You have your highs and lows and still, I have your name written on me. We go well together most of the time.

You are well-traveled, well-spoken and your whispher has rippled and echoed through the earth. Your storied soul is a picturesque geography of integrity and your narrative world ebbs and flows, rises and falls and has its own accent and inflection. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were from the hills of Kentucky.

Do you realize how much people talk about you? At schools, churches, on bridges, in prisons, on cardboard...And do you realize the power you wield? It's not just God's hands that you rest. And its not just your friends that stake a claim on you or say they really know you when they don't. I just think you should know about these kinds of things; you have a right to know, after all! Besides, friends don't keep secrets.

How is it that you maintain your composure? Your sophistication? Your persistence? And how is it that you are still a voice for so many, even as your voice keeps getting muzzled? I know I'm asking a lot of questions and maybe you don't have all of the answers...or do you? Regardless, I just want to thank you for your brutal honesty, it has made me a better man. And I want you to know that I am deeply grateful for your unfailing presence, even when the going has gotten tough. I hope this letter finds you well and as always, we'll talk soon.

Your friend,

Michael

The Help Korah Book

Today, I am incredibly pleased to announce the first ever, that's right, The FIRST EVER, Help Korah book! The title is Help Korah: Sketches & Stories, Poems & Prayers. Here's what the back cover of the book says:

"In this awe-inspiring book, founder of HelpKorah, Michael Halcomb, joins with his wife Kristi and friend Chris Van Allsburg, in helping transport you into the world of Ethiopia. From the eye-catching sketches to the words of every story, poem and prayer, readers will be inspired, challenged and moved. If you have ever been to Ethiopia, this book will surely bring back memories. If you have yet to travel to this historic African land, this work will not only give you a glimpse into one of the earth’s most fascinating places, but also help prepare you to go experience it for yourself.

If you enjoy this book, you will be eager to know that more projects are underway! Stay tuned for other great literary works from HelpKorah in the near future."

This book boasts over 100 pages of inspiring sketches, beautiful poems, heartfelt prayers and riveting stories. So, take a peek in side. Below is a simple, .pdf sample as well as a nice little flash version of the book that allows you to zoom in on pages, scroll pages, use an interactive table of contents, etc. (Note: It may take a moment to load, especially on slower browsers.)

We have created the book in numerous formats. So, you can buy Kindle or Nook-friendly versions, a flash or .pdf version or you can go with the beautiful softcover edition. You can purchase them here online by clicking the button below. Please, know that 100% of the proceeds go toward ministry efforts in Addis. I (Michael), my wife Kristi and our co-author Chris Van Allsburg will split the proceeds of each book 3 ways and allot those funds for travel to Ethiopia. In short, every cent given through the purchase of this book will help us accomplish work in Addis. So, in advance, we say "Thank You" for helping us and for supporting this cause and showing your love for the people of Korah.

The 1st Ever HelpKorah Book
Help Korah: Sketches & Stories, Poems & Prayers
Get Your Copy Now!!!

Book Format Options

Softcover Book $15.00 Kindle Version $12.00 Nook Version $12.00 Flash Version $12.00 PDF Version $10.00

Best Spoken Word I've Ever Heard / One Of The Best Sermons I've Heard

Saturday: A Meditation

Today Lord, Saturday, life seems more dialectic than usual. On one side of me stands a grievous cross and on the other, an empty tomb. If I look back to yesterday, I see the desertion of a few who were close to you but when I ponder the faithfulness that billions offer you today, I am hopeful. A glance backwards to Golgotha reminds me of the lies that led to your execution while a glance toward the Parousia strengthens my confidence that you are the Truth. If the past didn't matter, then neither would the present or the future, Lord. Darkness was over the land but a Light lives in the world. The tension of today, Saturday, the day we have to wait, is an exasperating tension. I'm pulled back and forth. I'm stretched to and fro. Tell? Don't tell? Go? Stay put? Trust? Hide? I was far but now I'm close. Dirty hands have been made clean and a malformed heart been bent toward You. What holds this day, Saturday, together? Is it the tension? Is it the questions? Is it the hopes? Is it the wonder? What is it? I'm in between days Lord but I also feel like I'm in the presence of eternity today. Does that mean that I'm in the palm of your hand?

An Ode To The Body

Oh body, I know I take you for granted

I complain about you incessantly and

I grow weary of your weariness

I don't take care of you

But I still expect so much from you

I loathe your pains and

I seek your pleasures

I search for your comforts but

I get tired of your problems

When you ache I sleep

When you suffer I whine

When you need more of me

I give up on you

Oh body

My hands

My feet

My mind

When will I ever realize

That you've not yet given up on me and

When will I ever realize

That I should not give up on you

When will I realize
That to ignore your cries is to ignore the cries of others

When will I realize

That to be part of the Body

The Body of Christ

Means to love you more than I love myself

And means

To build you up instead of beating you down

When will I realize

That baptism cancels out narcissism

And that the many parts

Make up this one beautiful body

-TMWH (2008)

A Limerick On The Lord's Day

(Inspired by Mk. 1.29-34.)

There once was hungry lad named Peter
Whose mother-in-law got a crazy high fever
When she couldn’t make him supper
He had Jesus come touch her
She arose and fired up the egg beater

A Limerick on the Lord's Day

Haven't done one of these in a while, so, I thought I'd give it a go. (Based on Mk. 1).

There once was a baptizin’ gent
With an affinity for the word “repent”
He dipped locusts in honey
His breath smelt funny
And so did his lumberjack scent

Tears Of A Teenage Mother

Yesterday, I spent about 30-40 minutes in the Kalamazoo library. During my brief stint there, I picked up a book I had not yet read, Tupac Shakur's, The Rose That Grew From Concrete. One of my favorite poems was "Tears Of A Teenage Mother". Here are the very simple, yet, very profound words:

He's braggin about his new Jordan's
The baby just ran out of milk
He's buyin gold every two weeks
The baby just ran out of Pampers
He's buyin clothes for his new girl
and the baby just ran out of medicine
You ask for money for the baby?
The daddy just ran out the door

God Looks, Thinks & Acts Just Like Me

(An off-rhythm, off-the-cuff poem)

If you traveled through time and
Through many places
If you were looking for Jesus
You’d see a man of many faces

If you asked an ancient Roman
They’d say He was a crook
If now you asked a little child
They’d say a character in their book

If you asked a group in Africa
They might say that Christ had dreads
If you went into a white Church
Well, they’d put blonde hair upon His head

If you asked someone who’s poor
They might tell you Christ was just like them
If you asked a well-to-do
They’d tell you: “He’s my best friend”

If you spoke to someone who’d been attacked
They might speak of Christ the judge
If you asked Mr. Middleclass
He might tell you Christ is love

If you spoke to Michelangelo
He’d paint a picture of bearded might
If you spoke with a conservative
They’d say Jesus is on the right

If you spoke with a Baptist
Then you’d know what Jesus was like
If you spoke with the Christian Church
Then Jesus was a Campbellite

If you spoke with an artist
Then they’d say that God’s “Creator”
If you talked with special interest groups
Then you’d learn that God is just a hater

If you spoke with an atheist
Then God would be nowhere
If you spoke with a contemplative
Then God would be now here

If you spoke with a believer
They’d say Jesus held their beliefs
If you proved that concept wrong
Still many would not concede

If we were to take just a moment
To travel on within
If we’d be honest with ourselves
Then, and only then,

We’d realize that we make God to be like us
That we create Him in our image and likeness
That we shape Him into the spiritual replica of our ideal selves
That we’ve concocted so many answers to “Who do you say I am?”
That we have fashioned for ourselves a God we can relate to, our very own God
That we’ve had the tendency throughout time and the world to do this
That we think, when compared to all others, we’ve got a corner on God
That, perhaps, we need to reconsider, just who God is

--TMW Halcomb (2008)

Questions Of A Worker Reading History

I stumbled upon this excellent poem today and thought I'd share it; incredibly thought provoking!

"Questions Of A Worker Reading History"

Who built seven-gated Thebes?
Books list the names of kings.
Did kings haul the blocks and bricks?
And Babylon, destroyed so many times
Who built her up so many times? Where
Are the houses where the construction-workers
Of gold-gleaming Lima lived?
Where did the masons go at nightfall
When they finished mortaring the Wall of China?
High Rome is full of victory arches.
Who put the up? Whom did the Casesars
triumph over?

Did chronicled Byzantium build only palces
for its inhabitants? In fabulous Atlantis
the drowned bellowed in the night when the sea
swallowed them up after their slaves.

Young Alexander conquered India
Just he?
Caesar beat the Gauls.
Didn't he at least have a cook with him?
Philip of Spain wept when his Armada
Went down. Did no one else?
Frederick the Great won out in the Seven Years War.

Who won besides?

A victory on every page.
Who cooked the victory feast?
A great man every decade.
Who paid the bills?

Lots of facts.

Lots of questions.

--Bertolt Brecht

A Limerick on the Lord's Day

(based on Mk. 8.22-6; in collaboration w/my lovely wife Kristi)

There once was a man with no sight
Jesus spit and his world became bright
“Now I can see,
But the men look like trees”

Tried to climb one but got in a fight

A Limerick on the Lord's Day

Jonah! The man just wouldn't relent.

Nope, he was making a statement!

Fleeing fast, die being cast,

God-harrassed then puked on grass.

But in the end He did hear God repent!

Enjoy Your Baby : A Poem

Today, my daughter turned 6 weeks old. Wow. I was holding her tonight and at one point, she just stared at me; it was a brilliant moment. Her big blue eyes are so beautiful. We had been out to dinner earlier that evening and the gentleman at the table next to me turned and said, "Enjoy it and let me tell you, that little girl is going to have you wrapped around her finger, I know, I've had three of them." My wife replied, "I think he's already wrapped around her little finger." She was right.

Usually, I try to post my own poetry on Sundays. However, in this entry, I want to post one of my grandpa's poems (I got all three of his poetry books after he passed away; until then I had no idea he was a poet; they are prized possessions in my book collection!). Anyways, the poem is below and I am sure that many of you can relate:

Enjoy Your Baby

Your baby is quite little now

But she will soon grow up

She will occupy her chair so high

And walk before you know it

And as she bites the furniture

Her teeth marks sure will show it

And when she learns to talk

You'll wish she'd never had her say

And she will ask a thousand things

You can't explain away

Then suddenly your girl will sprout

In body and in knowledge

And you'll discover that

She is prepared to go to college

So keep your baby while you can

And feed her with a spoon

A little one is precious but

She grows up all too soon

--Francis "Smitty" Smith