This video excerpt from a White House poetry jam is a vibrant expression of the quest for primal roots, spiritual connection, and the fountain of some form of faith that resonates in human beings.
Mayda del Valle’s poetic voice is both musical and lyrical, and her passion invested in her words is strong.
This is also an example of how art does not always need to be factual, or even true; but rather, art can be a soul questing for truth and connection with things beyond the artist. Her blend of theism and paganism is an interesting mix, and she suggests her “Abuela” (grandmother) was told the God in whom she should believe.
But, getting past this, listen for the image of God pulsing through in a quest for reconnection to origins.
As always, hear the words and the spirit in which they are spoken, contextualize them in the art, the person and the place. Now, opening our hearts to reflection…
Our Questions: What if God uniquely and particularly speaks through one tribe in our human family, the Jews, and yet the echoes are heard throughout the whole of the human family? How do the echoes in this piece ultimately reconnect us with the living truths communicated by Jesus? How should this work and its themes fit in your Christian faith grid?
3 Comments
Dan… thanks so much for posting this link.. I watched, and was truly moved by this woman’s passion.. She got me thinking about my grandmother., and I found myself asking the same questions… How delightful to consider and to ponder one’s roots, and to feel, once again, reminded of one’s connections to everything that comes from GOD.I, personally, am grateful for my rootedness in GOD, JESUS, , and yes… my Grandmother.. I know she prayed and I would like to think that she prayed well.. simply, humbly, and quietly… We, as human beings, are truly designed beautifully. Thanks be to GOD.. the LOVE of my life..
This is really really good. So full of passion and there is a longing and a question for connection to something bigger that is outside of herself; this is the mark of the Creator. And this piece really is a desire to make sense of the universe, to make sense of history, to give meaning and voice to those who have gone before. What I like so much is there is still a question, there is still mystery. I get it, I feel like that as well. I know and understand much about my history and I know and understand much about my God but there is so very much I am perplexed by. So very much I don’t get . There is sometimes a reaching out, a desperate clinging or clutching and searching for God because He is all I have and because He is what I know (having proved himself faithful). The mystery is He still meets me. Thanks so much for posting this.
This is deeply moving. I love how her words come together almost like a melody. Even more than that though I love how she taps into that deep rooted longing in all of us to be connected to our creator and how she searches for meaning to her existence by looking at the life of one who went before her.
She is so brutally honest and open in her desire for something more that I find it almost uncomfortable to watch…like I’m seeing something too private. Yet I can’t look away either because her words resonate. I know what she is feeling. I have felt that way too and I think all humanity does as well.
I pray that more artists have the guts to explore these feelings and express them openly too. What a unique and beautiful way to start exploring the questions of our existence, life, meaning, and faith.
Thanks Dan,
Stephen Rathjen
Essentials Red
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