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A study of scripture reveals that Jesus spent a lot of time with people in the margins. As an African American, Nikki Grimes lives in the margins, and she can tell you that it’s a place most of us would rather not be. And yet, she knows there is always glory to be found in the margins because of the Lord’s presence in, and with us.
As Poet Laureate of Grace Brethren Church in Southern California, it’s Ms. Grimes’ job to distill the heart of the weekly sermon into a poem. She dives into each week’s chosen scripture, viewing it from her own perspective as Black, as woman, as poet, always a little left of center, and looking for the glory to be found in the margins of life, and of the text. Of course, she says, those of us who live in the margins are not what anyone expects, and the very notion that God might speak through us, may seem a bit wild. But he does. ‘I will pour out my spirit on all flesh,’ said the Lord. God’s busy in the hearts of all who call on him.
New York Times bestselling poet Nikki Grimes received the 2020 ALAN Award for outstanding contributions to young adult literature. Author of over 75 books, her distinguished works include the modern classic Bronx Masquerade, award-winning verse novel Dark Sons on the life of Ishmael, memoir in verse Ordinary Hazards winner of the Printz Honor, Siebert Honor, and Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, the acclaimed Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance, and NYT bestseller Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice. Creator of ALA Notable Poetry Book Come Sunday, At Jerusalem’s Gate, and Voices of Christmas, Grimes has been featured in the pages of IMAGE Journal of Arts and Religion, World, Today’s Christian Woman, Poetry Magazine, Hunger Mountain, and on the Academy of American Poets series, Poem a Day, among others. Once nominated for the Pushkin, her poetry can be found in numerous collections including The Golden Shovel Anthology. Ms. Grimes lives in Corona, California.
