Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

  - Proverbs 4.23

Buas i.e. full knowledge of poetic art: because science goes after poetic art...

  - Cormac, Glossary, Irish, 9th century[1]

Late in the period of the Celtic revival, Cormac, an abbot and king, was apparently concerned that many of the old Gaelic terms and words were falling into disuse and so might be forgotten. And if the words were forgotten, the meanings they conveyed and the role they played in life might likewise fall into disuse.

Perhaps he was concerned this would hasten the decline of that great period of revival that was even in his day in its eclipse. For nearly four centuries Celtic Christians had brought revival, renewal, and awakening throughout Ireland, Scotland, and parts of Europe, and, as it happens, poetry played no small part in that great movement of God’s Spirit.

During the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD) Christian leaders employed poetry to aid in the work of making disciples, celebrating the goodness of God in creation, encouraging God’s servants in their work, remembering the achievements of their forebears, bringing identity and unity to their communities, and marking important days in the annual calendar. Poems from that period were carefully crafted in order to make them easy to understand and remember, delightful to sing or recite, and powerful to instruct. Celtic Christians packed their poems with Biblical allusions, theological insights, and an abundance of local color and contemporary concerns. Among the scant literature surviving from this period, no small part of it is in the form of poetry.

Was poetry falling into disuse in Cormac’s day? Did he, at the very least, hope to remind his contemporaries of something they were about to lose?

It’s possible. And it may be that Cormac composed his glossary as an effort to preserve words and their meanings that had played an important part in the Celtic revival of preceding centuries.

Interesting, this word, buas. It indicates more than merely what its definition suggests. For Celtic people poetry was the highest form of learning, the greatest art, the most important cultural achievement of any tribe or people. No wonder Cormac was concerned.

Why was poetry so important to these folks?

Poetry speaks to the heart, bringing delight, creating wonder, and provoking the imagination. With the heart thus engaged, poetry appeals to the mind. If the poetry is noble, virtuous, elevating, and spiritual, it fills the mind with thoughts of eternal verities and glory.

Science, on the other hand, being primarily a rational endeavor, speaks to the mind apart from the heart. Science is about reason, objectivity, and refusing to allow emotions to clog or corrupt judgment (think: Sherlock Holmes, as he is currently being played by Benedict Cumberbatch – although rationalists, ostensibly appealing to “science,” exploit unguarded hearts and untrained affections in pushing such agendas as evolution, environmentalism, and abortion). Science, Cormac understood, tends to come at life head first, whereas poetry does so heart first­ – precisely as Solomon, David, the prophets, and Jesus said we should.

Yet the heart is the heart of the matter in the life of faith, as Solomon – writing in poetry – knew very well. A heart neglected and not trained and disciplined to fulfill its proper role in the soul can easily be led astray by false ideas, corrupt values, and base emotions. Celtic Christians understood the importance of disciplining the heart, so that all our affections are properly tuned and focused to enable us to deal with the issues of life in a manner consistent with the heart of God.

One way to train the heart is to take up the study of poetry, especially the great spiritual poetry of the Celtic and English traditions. In poetry we can expect the saints of old to speak to our hearts, improving our affections and, with them, our thoughts, our priorities, and our lives.

So you’ve never had much time for poetry. Well, there’s no time like the present.

Before poetry and the idea and power of it completely disappear from your Kingdom experience, perhaps you ought to make an effort to benefit from this God-given art.

Psalm 49.1-6, 15 (Sagina: “And Can It Be, That I Should Gain”)
Hear this, you peoples, low and high; give ear as wisdom I proclaim:
My heart with understanding fills to hear and sing my Savior’s fame.
Why should I fear when foes arise, who trust in wealth and boast in lies?
    My God redeems my soul from hell!
    His grace and mercy let me tell!

I’m not much into poetry, Lord, but if You can use it to strengthen my heart, then show me where to start.

God loves poetry, and so can you!
That should be obvious, don’t you think? I mean, almost half the Bible is written in poetry, so there must be something to this genre that is powerful to communicate eternal truths. The sons of Korah certainly thought so, since their cry to the nations and peoples of the earth in Psalm 49 is cast entirely in verse.

But we have to understand how poetry works. It all begins in the heart, where poetry exerts a powerful influence on our affections, as we’ve seen. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I’ll send you a brief paper to help you discover the power of poetry for your walk with the Lord. Request, “The Barred Owl and the Bishop” and I’ll send it to you right away. This is the first of a new series of occasional papers called Miscellanies in which I’ll be exploring a wide range of worldview issues and resources.

And after you’ve read this little meditation, would you go before the Lord, first, to seek guidance in letting poetry have a greater role in your spiritual life, and, second, to ask Him whether you should support this ministry with your gifts?

You can use the donate button here or at the website to contribute by credit card, or send your tax-deductible gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Blessings.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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