JPIT appoints poet-in-residence 

The Revd Lucy Berry, a performance poet and United Reformed Church minister, has been named as the first poet-in-residence for the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT).

JPIT responds to current social, political and policy issues on behalf of the Baptist Union, the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.

Ms Berry will write and perform poetry related to the policy areas JPIT work on such as poverty and welfare system in the UK, immigration, political engagement and broader themes around peace and justice.

The unremunerated position began on Monday 3 September and is marked with a poem specially written by Ms Berry, entitled ‘An empire and a village’.

Explaining how the joint venture began, Ms Berry said: ‘It came about through my residency at JPIT’s last national conference, ‘Brave New World: faithful living in a time of change’, in Manchester in March.

‘We all hit it off brilliantly. JPIT have an attractively practical attitude towards the issues of the day and I love practical Christianity.’

A new page has been created on JPIT’s website entitled ‘poetry hub’ and will feature all poetry she writes during her time with the organisation.

She explained what lay behind the inspiration for her work.

‘It’s the Bible,’ she continued. ‘It seems to me that what is happening in the Bible is always happening; which makes the Bible eternally – and urgently – relevant.’

Lucy Zwolinska, JPIT Policy and Engagement Officer, added, ‘We are delighted to welcome the Revd Lucy Berry as our poet in residence. When Lucy joined us for our Brave New World conference in March and performed her poem “Ideas, like doves” the positive feedback was overwhelming, demonstrating the power of her work. Lucy’s words allow people to engage with issues of justice and peacemaking on a deeply spiritual and personal level. We look forward to working with her more closely.’  
 

‘An Empire and a Village’ 

I've been thinking for a while now about ‘empire’ and ‘village’. Not in terms of specific regimes, but in terms of an ongoing global impulse. Empire can never be a good thing. Because although it uses humans to function, it isn't human. Empire needs a vast underclass to keep going. It needs various kinds of ‘us-and-them’ conventions to optimise its operations. It subverts education to its service. It requires collusion and coercion to maintain stasis. It uses society and community but is neither. It is in relationship to no-one. It breaks every rule in the book and it exists within each of us or it couldn't work nearly so well. I see almost all news and current affairs as drifts towards either empire or village. We all have village in us too. But that often loses out, doesn't it? 
 

An Empire and a Village
 
You and I, inside us, have an Empire and a village.
Admit it and acknowledge.
Now, let’s forage for our courage.
 
Citizens of Empire are the haywire folk of hellfire;
of hiring, firing, miring, and of razor-wire and gunfire.
 
Citizens of Empire never listen to the village.
Empire will imprison any prophet of the village.
 
Empire has the cash, the whips, the slaves, and the advantage.
Empire screams for tribute which the village cannot manage.
 
Empire drinks the river and the village feels the shortage.
Empire starts the carnage and the village needs the bandage.
 
People of the village must rummage through the rubbish,
calling through the garbage for the children in the wreckage.
 
Empire knows to massage every message to the village;
to authorise as classified each image of the pillage.
 
Empire feeds off doubt and debt and luxury and slaughter.
Village dreams of crumbs of bread and never-ending water.
 
All of us, inside us, have an Empire and a village.
Admit it and acknowledge.
Now. Go forage for your courage.

 
©Lucy Berry 2018 www.lucyberry.com
permission granted for non-profit reproduction