Exploring the Magnitude of God
Poetica Ad Deum
About
I was brought up in a staunch religious world being taught that my religion was the best one, the true one. I was brought close to the altar serving Mass at the age of 5 or 6. I memorized Latin. The first two words I learned in Latin were, "Ad Deum" or " To God". Ad Deum qui laetificat, juventutem meam, meaning "To God Who is the joy of my youth".
That was many years ago. Since then my life has been indelibly affected by "the church". For years, I hardly asked questions about what it all meant. It was so illustrious and mysterious to me that I just followed along. Catholic grammar school, high school, and minor and major seminary followed. I bailed before ordination on good advice from my mother but the religious saga continued. Next came teaching high school theology and directing religious programs in a catholic parish. That got me to age 33. As I humorously said in my farewell to church work, "That's the same age Jesus ended His earthly church work, so I don't feel so bad about leaving it at this time!"
Much has happened since then. I learned to ask questions about what I believed and trust that God would be faithful to show me what I needed to know. He has always been faithful and His timing was His and not mine. God is so great that I am sure I will ever be discovering more of His glory both now and in eternity.
I want those who come to Poetica Ad Deum to know why I am expressing myself in poetry dedicated to God. Poetry is song. Poetry is praise. Poetry is music. In it I have rediscovered a childlike spirit toward God. That is what I would like to foster and celebrate in Poetica Ad Deum.
I am simply a follower of the Risen Christ as most fully proclaimed in the letters of Paul.
Poetica Ad Deum is meant to be a place of childlike rejoicing at the magnitude and ever graciousness of God. Does not scripture tell us to pray to God as “Abba” or “Daddy”? That is how Paul experienced Him. It is a place to be a child again in His presence. We are and always will be God’s children relative to His magnitude and His essence which is Love.
“There is a reason poets often say, ‘Poetry saved my life,’ for often the blank page is the only one listening to the soul’s suffering, the only one registering the story completely, the only one receiving all softly and without condemnation.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
In this touching and deeply insightful statement I see “the blank page” as God. It is the special place where we leave all commentary and criticism about ourselves behind. Is it so crazy to think that it is on this blank page we are actually speaking to God? I think not. I believe not!
I encourage readers to lay their thoughts and suffering down on a blank page. Our honesty and humility will be accepted by a God we barely understand or appreciate.
He is there. He is listening.
- Len
