Nothing But A Word (Rev. Eleanor Colvin)
Nothing But A Word
A poem by Rev. Eleanor Colvin
In the beginning was the word
The word was with God
And the word was God.
And the word
Created the world, without end, without tools
With nothing but a word.
From darkness there was light
From utter chaos came order.
Land was separated from the sea
Creeping things and flying things appeared in ordered mystery
And all our days were ordered before a single one came to be.
And it took nothing but a word.
In the beginning was the word
The word was with God
And the word was God.
And the word’s
Transcendent divinity
Transported it to humanity
To calm our calamities.
As it was in the beginning
The word hovered over our chaos
And from pain came progress.
And the word’s Transcendent divinity
Transported it to humanity
To prove that salvation
Hangs on the word’s every word.
Salvation is sealed
By nothing but a word.
A word that was, and is, and is to come.
In the beginning was the word
And that’s all there needs to be
When the word’s definitions number infinity
That’s all there needs to be
When the word is with God
And simultaneously the word IS God.
No lag time
No lapse
No delay
Nothing lost in translation
When the word is God.
This type of word’s etymology is unknown
[Seek me… I will show you deep and unsearchable things]
This type of word speaks
And spits out the seas.
Effortlessly puts fears at ease
In its sleep calms storms
Is a verbal balm
And it ain’t nothing but a word.
And by the power vested in us
By that same word
Our words have power to create worlds
Calling forth the kingdom of heaven on earth
Or imprisoning cells of holy hell
We create for ourselves.
By the power vested in us
Our words bless us
Curse us
Hurt us
Heal us.
And not only us
But all within the sound of our voice
All within the reach of our love
All within the proximity of our seed
All who, like migrant farmers, will travel to gather the harvest
Activated by our hopeful words.
The word trusts us
Has vested power in us
And it took nothing but a word
A word
That, in the beginning, was with God
And was God.
All praises be
To the power of a word.
All praises be
To the Creator.
Thanks be for the creation that co-creates.
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Eleanor Colvin is a fourth-generation Methodist who is humbled to have been called by God to serve God’s people. She has served as the pastor of First UMC in College Station since 2016. While in College Station, she has served on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity; volunteered with the Family Promise Ministry that supports families experiencing homelessness; and been honored by the City of College Station’s Lincoln Center with the MLK Torch Bearer’s Award. A native of Houston, Rev. Colvin earned a bachelor’s in Journalism from Texas A&M University and later went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Houston and a Master of Divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Eleanor looks forward to a lifetime of ministry that mobilizes the church to connect with people and communities through service and strong relationships, because she believes worship is a lifestyle, not an event. She’s also passionate about utilizing the arts to help people explore and deepen their relationships with God and neighbor. This piece is the opening to our Spring 2022 collection, Dominionism.
