influence

Professor Lewis

/ joethewaller / 2 Comments

It seems that you were always writing,
Always reading, always smoking,
Always sipping, and I think your
Cup was overflowing.

But the romance of such thinking
Overlooks the daily living,
Working, growing, and forgiving.
Yours was normal life.

As I gather inspiration,
I am struck by dedication.
Life for you was no vacation.
You knew joy and grief.

But turning to the pen, you taught us,
Told us tales of truth that caught us,
Brought us to the Son who sought us,
In humility.

So let me emulate your seeing,
Work into my words that being
That knows what it is becoming.
Let me love the King.

Photo by Dave Lowe on Unsplash

Influences

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And thank you, Mister Lewis.
As I above your pages blink,
Your words encourage me to think,
To follow you right to the brink
Where truth can pierce right through us.
Yes, thank you, Mister Lewis.

And thank you, Mister Tolkien,
For he who finds you on these shelves
Will soon encounter orcs and elves.
Still my imagination delves
Into your stories so keen.
Yes, thank you, Mister Tolkien.

And thank you, Edgar Allan,
For books that bear the mark of Poe,
Though oft macabre, still serve to show
A master’s mixture: beauty, woe.
I feel the raven’s talon.
Yes, thank you, Edgar Allan.

And thank you, Mister Shakespeare.
Iambic pentameter tells
Your tales, and each with grandeur swells.
Of deaths and weddings, blood and bells,
You speak, and I lend my ear.
Yes, thank you, Mister Shakespeare. 

John Piper

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When I read verses like Philippians 3:17 (“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us”) or 1 Corinthians 11:1 (“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”), I think of John Piper. Piper has consistently been an encouragement and a challenge to me, from first encountering his work when I was a high school student to seeing him preach last month at a missions conference. No matter how many authors I read, and no matter how many preachers I hear, I still hold John Piper in the highest regard. Today, I simply want to express my thankfulness for his ministry by highlighting a few things that have deeply influenced me in my walk with the Lord.

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