“At the place where flesh touches the land, there is redemption. We know this because God became incarnate all the way to the bone and to the dirt. In Jesus, we learn that the Creator has embraced the Creation. This means that redemption is of the body and of place.”

-Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings (Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University Divinity School) “The Home Mission: The Redemption of Place”

The English poet Emily Dickinson famously wrote, “Tell all the truth, but tell it slant.” I found Dickinson’s words echoing through the chambers of my mind as the inimitable Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings stood up to speak, and announced whimsically to us that he would be reading three (!!!) of his original, unpublished, ‘never-before-read-aloud-in-public’ poems. As my friend and Awakenings 2025 colleague Mondo Scott whispered excitedly next to me, “Dr. Jennings is a prolific poet – but he never publishes his work!” A palpable sense of anticipation gripped the room, as several hundred of us leaned forward with expectation, wondering what one of the preeminent theologians of our day was about to recite for us. Here were his words, captured by our friends at Englewood Review of Books and graciously shared with us:

“What If We Gave It All Back? (Poem #3) | Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings (Awakenings 2025). Captured by our friends at Englewood Review of Books.

What if we gave it all back?

Yes and amen. What if we gave it all back? What if our Christian imagination was as robust as the Rev. Dr. Jennings wondered if it could be? Was it possible? Was a justice this holistic, a faith reimagined this completely, and a world really made new possible? In the midst of a dark and scary cultural moment, as he spoke forth a series of difficult truths, the Rev. Dr. Jennings, with a twinkle in his eye, acknowledged that yes it was. It was possible. God truly was making all things new.

Later in his plenary address, the Rev. Dr. Jennings unpacked this belief further:

“What does it mean to give witness to the redemption of the body in place? The problem we face together is that our visions of redemption separate the body from the land, and from how we form the built environment (all the aspects of what it means to live in a place). Our geographic imaginations are insulated and in need of freedom. Salvation in this sense therefore means that we participate in the work God has done and is doing to make place sacred.” – Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings (Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale University Divinity School)“The Home Mission: The Redemption of Place”

What if we gave it all back is possible when our geographic imagination is no longer anemic, insulated from the systemic injustices of the world, shackled by the empires and principalities that stoke the fires of injustice around the globe.

What if we gave it all back grows in potential if we no longer separate our salvation from the land, our bodies from our spirits, and our need for complete redemption from the place we call home.

If salvation is participatory – an all in sort of work, initiated by God but made real by the co-laboring of our hands…

…then we are invited to release all we own, giving it all back to God, entrusting in the dream God has to come to pass.

~Missio Alliance

Download ‘Awakening 2025 Day 2 (Friday) Notes PDF | Missio Alliance’ here.

We all look up to the esteemed Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings, and his profound wisdom. And then he blesses us with three original poems? Come on!

Editorial Note: How do you recap a profoundly deep and prophetically challenging biennial gathering such as Awakenings 2025? Without saying “Check out all the clips and images already on our social channels” (Do this!), the answer is, imperfectly yet with short reflections. Thus, the next few articles will contain a short reflection and key ideas and quotes from plenary speakers during each day of Awakenings 2025.

Several hundred of us gathered in the DC Metro area in early March to seek God, and begin to make sense of this cultural moment. God met us, as God always does, and we left transformed.

We hope these simple reflections spark your own transformation journey with Jesus as you continue to pursue wholeness and beauty in the life of the church alongside our team. ~CK

P.S. Pick up the Awakenings 2025 Conference Bundle, which includes video of all Main Sessions + audio of all Workshops, today!