Martin Luther, who said, "The Devil hates goose quills," insisted that in a reformation, "we need poets."To read (and hear) some of Douglas Bond's hymns, click here.
Martin Luther cared deeply about poetry, in the most vital way. But do most Christians today? Most accept the decline of poetry without a wimper, with barely a wafture of good riddance.
The devil likely applauds Christians who shrug indifferently as genuine poetry twitches into the abyss. Yet the Bible contains the finest poetry of the ancient world.
The devil abhors poets like [Martin] Luther and [Isaac] Watts, who used their goose quills to adorn the loveliness of Jesus.
"The highest form of poetry is the hymn," wrote [John Greenleaf] Whittier....
The devil hates goose quills, including ones wielded by able poets who train their pens to the highest use - crafting psalm-like hymns that lift the heart, mind, and imagination from our puny selves and enthrall us with Christ alone.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Douglas Bond on Poetry in Modern Reformation Magazine
Douglas Bond has an excellent article in the March/April 2010 issue of Modern Reformation magazine on the significance of poetry titled, "The Devil Hates Goose Quills: And Why It Matters to the Church." Unfortunately, it is not available online, so I will share a few of the quotes I appreciated most from the article.
