Sing Hymns III - Spiritual Growth for New BelieversI

Second, the truth being accurate does not necessarily make it a poem; it also needs to have the form and structure of a poem. It is not enough to simply say that the truth is correct; even if the truth is right, it still needs to have the form and structure of a poem to truly be considered a poem. Singing a poem is not the same as preaching; we cannot take a sermon and turn it into a song. There was once a poem, and the first line with seven characters was “The true God created heaven, earth, and man.” As a teaching, this is fine, but as a poem, it doesn’t work. This is truth, not poetry. The poems in the Book of Psalms in the Bible all have the flavor of poetry. The structure and wording in each psalm are delicate and are used to express God’s meaning in the language of a poet. Therefore, it’s not enough to just have lines with a certain length; the entire structure must be poetic, and the form must be poetic.

Third, in addition to having truth and the form and structure of a poem, a poem also needs a spiritual connection—it must touch upon the spiritual reality.

For example: Psalm 51 is a poem of repentance by David. When we read it, we see that David’s repentance is correct in principle, and his words are not casual; the structure is intricate. At the same time, we feel there’s something in it—a spiritual reality, a spiritual feeling. That can be called the “burden” of the poem. His repentance is exactly that—repentance, and the feeling of repentance fills the entire poem. We often feel that Psalms have a characteristic: every time we read them, we see that the feelings they convey are reliable. When the poet is happy, he jumps up and shouts with joy; when he’s sad, he weeps. It’s not just words without substance; the words contain the spiritual reality.

Thus, a poem must not only have accurate truth, but also the form and structure of a poem, and it must carry a spiritual reality and feeling. In other words, if a poem is about weeping, it should make us weep; if it’s about joy, it should make us joyful. When it speaks of something, it should make us feel that thing. We cannot sing a poem of repentance and not feel a sense of repentance; instead, the more we sing, the more we laugh. We cannot claim to be praising God while we are not joyful or happy. We cannot say a poem represents offering while we do not feel the act of offering. We cannot say a poem represents falling down before God, being broken by Him, while we still feel proud and boastful. If a poem cannot give us the correct feeling, it is not a good poem. The feeling in the poem must be real, and it must touch the spiritual reality.

A poem must have accurate truth, a poetic structure, and it must allow the singer to touch the spiritual reality conveyed by the poem. Otherwise, it is not a qualified poem. All three points must be complete for it to be considered a good poem.