God provided a Wild Child to promote courage
A Wild Child to help you bare your soul
A Wild Child to affirm your existence
For God knew you before you were born
Jesus is the Word for all who will listen
The Word that says “Come to me”
The Word that is to be shared with others
In their time of hope and need
The Trinity guides all the mothers, sisters and aunts
To live their lives in comunidad
Knowing that each day brings blessings
You may have to focus to see
So, Wild Child Spirit, blow where you are
Give us courage to listen and to learn
Wild Child Spirit, wrap us in your arms
To feel the love of the Blessed Trinity
During my time at Southwest, I have found that poetry has helped me draw closer to God and strengthen my relationship with the Trinity. As an African-American woman whose late husband was an Ethiopian immigrant and as someone who has three adult sons in their mid-twenties, the events in my personal life and in the United States over the past decade have been catalysts for me to trust in God and wrap myself in God’s love. I wrote this poem to express my experience with the Holy Spirit as part of one of my classes during the pandemic in May. I have been fortunate to be a part of the Seminary of the Southwest community during this time.
This fall, the Sowing Holy Questions blog will focus on issues of racial healing. Writers will reflect on what has been done, what change ought to happen, and offer visions for healing in our communities.
Cheryl A. (Toni) Belhu is a senior seminarian at Seminary of the Southwest (SSW). She is a Candidate for Holy Orders from the Diocese of Western North Carolina and her sending parish is St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Gastonia, NC. Toni participates in the ministry and church life of St. Mary Magdalene Episcopal Church in Manor, Texas as part of her field education. St. Mary Magdalene is a multi-cultural, multi-generational parish with services conducted in both Spanish and English. Her concentration at SSW is Latinx Ministry.
Prior to attending seminary, Toni retired from Bridgestone Americas, Inc. after her 22-year career working primarily in human resources and talent development at four locations including the US headquarters in Nashville, TN. Toni is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served almost ten years as both an enlisted soldier and military officer.
