Poetry Reading: Glory in the Margins

New York Times bestselling author and poet Nikki Grimes explains, “A study of scripture reveals that Jesus spent a lot of time with people in the margins. As an African American, I live in the margins, and I can tell you that it’s a place most of us would rather not be. And yet, I know there is always glory to be found in the margins because of the Lord’s presence in, and with us. As Poet Laureate of my Grace Brethren Church in Southern California, it’s my job to distill the heart of the weekly sermon into a poem. I dive into each week’s chosen scripture, viewing it from my own perspective as Black, as woman, as poet, always a little left of center, and looking for the glory to be found in the margins of life, and of the text. Of course, those of us who live in the margins are not what anyone expects, and the very notion that God might speak through us, through me, may seem a bit wild. But he does. ‘I will pour out my spirit on all flesh,’ said the Lord. God’s busy in the hearts of all who call on him.”

Glory in the Margins is published under Paraclete Press’s Iron Pen imprint. In the book of Job, a suffering man pours out his anguish to his Maker. From the depths of his pain, he reveals a trust in God’s goodness that is stronger than his despair, giving humanity some of the most beautiful and poetic verses of all time. Paraclete’s Iron Pen imprint is inspired by this spirit of unvarnished honesty and tenacious hope.

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