Take a Moment to Watch and Listen to the Inaugural Poem “The Hill We Climb”

     but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees,
         and no one shall make them afraid;
         for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken
     --Micah 4:4 NRSV 
 
For me, one of the most moving parts of inauguration ceremonies today came when 22 year-old poet Amanda Gorman read her poem “The Hill We Climb.” She eloquently mixed scripture (Michah 4;4), American history and imagery reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. She addressed the recent violence and turmoil but offered hope as we work for a brighter future. I urge you to watch her recite this powerful poem multiple times to take in her words. If you watched it live, watch it again.
 
Here is a link to a video of her recitation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI1c-Lbd4Bw 
 
Here are some lines from the poem I loved as best as I could transcribe them:
 
     We have learned that quiet isn’t always peace
     And the norms and notions of what “just is”
     Isn’t always justice . . . 
 
     We are not striving to form a union that is perfect
     We are trying to forge a union with purpose
     To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man
     And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us
     We close the divide because we know to put our future first we must put our differences aside
     We lay down our arms
     So we can reach out our arms towards one another
     We seek harm to none
     And harmony for all . . . 
 
     Even as we grieved we grew
     That even as we hurt we hoped
     Even as we tired we tried
     That we will forever be tied together 
     Victorious
     Not because we will forever again know defeat
     But because we will never again sow division
     Scripture tells us to envision 
     That everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
     And noone shall make them afraid
     If we are to live up to our own time,
     Then victory won’t lie in the blade
     But in all the bridges we’ve made
     That is the promised glade
     The hill we’ll climb
     If only we dare
     Because being American is more than a pride we inherit
     It’s the past we step into and how we repair it . . . 
 
     We will not be interrupted or turned around by intimidation
     Because we know our inaction or inertia
     Will be the inheritance of the next generation
     And our blunders become their burdens . . . 
 
     For there is always light
     If only we’re brave enough to see it
     If only we’re brave enough to be it

Grace and Peace,
Rev. Chase Peeples