Breathing Room

Over Thinking The Un-Intended 

People like to look at words and claim them not as so,
they will pick them up and look under them
as if there is something hidden below.
Cutting words down and looking at their roots,
“a word derived from latin!” is often a common excuse.

Scholars tend to think of words like wells,
deeper and darker do they like to dwell.
Some may spend days, if not years, searching -
the sad part of their story is
that the writer was simply joking.

If you like to look for meaning,
then please, by all means, look for some in this!
You are bound to find something for your searches
in my plainly written lists.
(and you ought not try to dig further, anything worth while is buried in clay) 

What I’m really aiming at, or rather, trying to say
is that words can be just that - words,
put in a place because they needed a verb
or rhyme, and I am going to end this stanza with hay.
Do you see what I did there? Call me crazy, or perhaps sane.

To get to the bottom and really dig deep
is actually to skim the surface and see,
displace the rocks and look under them to find
that many authors and writers were never really thinking the “how” or “why” -
but just wrote what they were feeling at a particular time.

- Derek Ellis 

Don’t Bother Raising Your Hand

Glasses on the crook
your eyes glancing over the books,
eyeing and sizing those in the room
to see if you know more from the loom.
You can weave words of wonder,
or create responses in the room as quick as thunder,
loudly and boldly proclaiming their knowledge -
and to think, this is simply college.
You thought it would be harder,
studying in a topic so broad
that there are many different uses for language,
namely, not a garage.
A smug little smile creeps over your face,
you’ve shown what you know
you’ve proven your case.
It’s simple, yes quite simple indeed, this language
that those in the room are studying in, knee deep.
A praise, a question and then further your answers
to show the room that you are quite capable of slander -
but we all know you by now,
you are the “know it all” who sips coffee and scowls,
as hard as a biscotti and hot as the chai
you get on my nerves with every hour, with every sigh.  

- Derek Ellis

Exegesis: an attempt to discover the meaning of the text objectively, starting with the text and moving out from there

Eisegesis: to import a subjective, preconceived meaning into the text

I was taught to interpret the Scriptures through exegesis alone. Start with God’s Word; pray that the spirit gives you clarity; then study to see what the text actually says. The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Bible, so who better to help us as we seek to understand it? Scripture tells us that the Spirit not only inspired the Bible, but also illuminates it for us today (1 Cor. 2:12-16 and 2 Tim. 3:16).

 The word exegesis comes from a Greek word meaning “to lead out.” As I have said, you start with the text and draw out its meaning. Eisegesis , on the other hand, is when you start with an idea or conviction, then search for verses in the Bible to prove your point. I was warned against eisegesis, and rightly so. The danger in this is that we can take verses out of context to support just about any point of view. For years people have used this style of interpretation in order to justify greed, lust, divorce, and countless other sins. Cults also use eisegesis to justify their beliefs. After realizing this, we at Cornerstone (Chan’s Church) began to question whether there were any area in our lives where we did essentially the same thing. 

The bottom line is that we can easily pursue just about any lifestyle we desire, then find Scriptures to show everyone it’s all right to live that way. But what would it look like to live exegetically? If we were to start with Scripture and allow it to dictate our actions, how would we live.   

Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him (Jesus), “Why don’t Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ritually unclean hands?”

He (Jesus) answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:

These people honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines
the commands of men.

Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.”
He also said to them, “You completely invalidate God’s command in order
to maintain your tradition! For Moses said:

Honor your father and your mother;
and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death.

But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might
have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift committed to the temple),
“you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 
You revoke God’s word by your tradition that you have handed down.
And you do many other similar things.” 

I Was Never One For Romantics 

I’m sure you could never fathom
that I’ve been thinking of you in my sleep.
Some may like to call them dreams -
but I don’t believe in fairytales, or make believe.

Thoughts are intentional, dreams just that - dreams.
So I like to say I’m thinking of you,
intentionally and deliberately pondering your name,
I’ve let my emotions get the best of me - what a shame.

Every day I’d walk by a sea of faces
and wonder if yours was in the mix,
hiding amongst some shadows
just waiting for me to lighten up a little bit.

I’m trying to take my time
and concentrate on me being me,
but I keep thinking, “Will I ever find you?”
and if I don’t, would you ever find me?

I’m a nervous wreck, and this emotion’s got me twisted -
the symptoms are obvious, as are the signs.
One can easily become a hopeless romantic, go ahead and try.
In love with the idea of love - what a sad little lie.

It has me sold out and in search to find,
this certain someone that it promised was mine.
Made for me, and I for them -
I just want to know when this hopeless feeling will end.

- Derek Ellis 

One Man’s Imagination 

If I could possibly lift these letters of the pages,
I’d fill my pockets with all these phrases,
Lines and letters all scattered and overrun -
with them I could create a masterpiece - with them, I could run.

One moment a fairytale, the next a shattered dream
all depending upon my mood, and the relativity of its swings.
Far too fragile and self absorbed,
my imagination is like an actor - it likes red carpets and awards.

Not much for speeches, although it loves to be long winded at times,
putting all it’s thoughts into my finger tips and telling me to rhyme.
“Make a pattern, here’s the scheme,” and so I do as it says - so you all see.
If it weren’t for my imagination, then where exactly would I be?

I’ll put my name somewhere and take credit, but I give credit when credit’s due -
So hat’s off to my amazing imagination, along with its ever growing ego too.
Now, don’t misunderstand me, these statements are not to boast…
But to inform you of the real writer behind the writer, the true man behind the post.

- Derek Ellis