What affects one affects all | with poet and pastor Drew Jackson | Shades of Red

Episode 133 - Stephanie welcomes Pastor and poet Drew Jackson who invites us to experience the gospel of Luke through his own culture today. He weaves his own growing-up years with Luke's words about the birth of Jesus, and his own ministry and outreach to the marginalized, with Jesus' calling to bring freedom to the captives and restoration to the wounded. 

His debut poetry collection, God Speaks Through Wombs, is a unique contribution to the world of poetry. This collection is a poetic telling of the first eight chapters of the Gospel of Luke, centering the theme of liberation. In this collection Jackson is asking the question, “What if we were able to hear the story of the Gospel of Luke from the perspective of those on the margins,” which Jackson says he believes was Luke’s intention in the first place. Throughout history the story of the Gospels has been co-opted by the powerful, and this is continuing to happen in our day. This collection of poems is an attempt to recover those voices that have so often been silenced. At the same time, this poetry is deeply personal and engages how the Gospel of Luke interacts with Jackson’s own story of being a Black man navigating the landscape of American life.

Meet Drew Jackson

Drew E. Jackson is a poet who came late to writing poetry, although he would say that his love for the art form began with hip-hop, learning to put words together from Nas’ Illmatic. He writes at the intersection of justice, peace, and contemplation, having a passion to contribute toward a more just and whole world. Born in Williamstown, NJ, Drew currently calls New York City home. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. While he’s not traversing the world of poetry, Drew spends his time pastoring Hope East Village, a church that he planted in March of 2018. Drew also serves as the President of Pax, an organization focused on promoting the peace of Jesus in the 21st century. Drew is blessed to share life with his wife Genay, and their twin daughters Zora and Suhaila.

Connect with Drew: https://www.djacksonpoetics.com/