Last spring I walked into my office and sitting on the desk was the following poem by a student I’d never met.  The poem and an incredible piece of visual art was inspired by reading Emmanuel’s and my book Reconciling All Things and a student art competition around the theme.  This began to teach me how little the arts have been developed as a gift to the ministry of peace–a growing theme that continued through the Duke Summer Institute and the involvement of a number of artists as both faculty and participants.




Easter Garment

Gather He does unto Himself threads of human life
The sorrows, the sores, the aches, the wars
But more than just the strife

While He gathers those who hunger, He gathers grains of wheat
While He gathers those who thirst, He gathers waters sweet
While He gathers those alone, He gathers welcome places
While He gathers those exposed, He gathers sheltered places

Unto Himself He gathers counsel for the inebriated
Unto Himself He gathers keys for the incarcerated
Unto Himself He gathers courage for the latent
Unto Himself He gathers panaceas for the patient
Unto Himself He gathers sages for the fool

Reconcile all things He does with His finger, frame, and spool
Into a Holy garment revealed on Easter day.
All things reconcile with His love, his life, his way.
Reconcile all things with His love, his life, his way.
All things are reconciled with His love, His life, His way.

Emily Isabelle Kroeger
Duke Divinity School
March 27, 2009

See Emily’s testimony about her tapestry.