These commentaries on pairings of poetry and Scripture were written with the intention of inspiring thought, reflection, and a deepening sense of communion with God. Some of the poets featured are Christians and others are not. My hope is that each poem, aided by an accompanying scriptural counterpart and my own observations, will shed light on the complexity and texture of Christian belief.
Jonathan Chan
Singapore, November 2020.
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- The Peace of Wild Things, Wendell Berry (b. 1934)
Matthew 6:26-34 (ESV) - God’s Grandeur, Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)
Psalm 148:8-14 (NIV) - The Bright Field, R. S. Thomas (1913-2000)
Exodus 3:1-10 (NIV) - Thank You, Ross Gay (b. 1974)
Thessalonians 5:14-18 (NIV) - Language, Camille T. Dungy (b. 1972)
Lamentations 3:28-33 (NIV) - Ice Storm, Robert Hayden (1913-1980)
Job 38:22-30 (NIV) - Lack Of Faith, Anna Kamieńska (1920-1986)
Psalm 63:6-8 (NIV) - In a Green Night, Derek Walcott (1930-2017)
Ecclesiastes 3:1-9 (NIV) - Gethsemane, Rowan Williams (b. 1950)
Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV) - The Age of Second Chances, Leonard Yip (b. 1995)
Matthew 28:3-10 (NIV) - Homecoming, Gwyneth Lewis (b. 1959)
Psalm 139:1-6 and 1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (NIV) - Autobiography, Alfian Sa’at (b. 1977)
James 4:1-3 (NIV) - going home, Jonathan Chan (b. 1996)
John 1:1-5 (NIV) - O Holy Night, Marjorie Stelmach (b. 1948)
Luke 2:1-7 and Ephesians 4:31-32 - ‘a patch of wild grace’: Commentaries on Poetry and Scripture [PDF]