Re-discovering Walt Whitman

I got home last night, and for some reason, was in the mood for Walt Whitman. so I broke out my dog-eared copy of Leaves of Grass, and began from the upper-left-hand corner. Some things I found again…



…from “To a Historian”

Chanter of Personality, outlining what is yet to be,

I project the history of the future.

…from “On Journeys Through the States”

We willing learners of all, teachers of all, and lovers of all.

That last one reminds me of Paul’s powerful words in 1 Corinthians 9…

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized – whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!