Copyright 2015 Theresa Harvard Johnson
One of the things I love about being a scribe is the natural gift or inclination to research. Research, at least to me, is a kingly and scholarly activity that the Christ-believing community of literary warriors should dig into as often as possible. As I always say, our prayer and intercessory focus is not to simply pray over our books or that of friends, but to pray into God’s increasing scribal nation (Matthew 13:52).
I know, that was a mouthful, but I am so serious.
I want to encourage you to seek out the “literary roots” growing in your scribal city, state or region. I do this all the time by looking at historical figures that stand out to me. For example, the poets and writers who had the greatest literary influence on my life were Georgia Douglas Johnson, Margaret Walker, Langston Hughes, Sonya Sanchez and of course, Ida B. Wells Barnett. Yes, I know they are old-school. But my love for the voice they carried continues to resound in my creative writings today – regardless of what anyone might think.
Proverbs 25:2 CJB, “God gets glory from concealing things; kings get glory from investigating things.“
When I was young, I learned early on to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of my culture as an African American woman in the literary arena. Let me tell you, my literary heritage is so deep and rich that it gave me such a sense of being, respect for the literary pioneers who went before me, and a sense of pride. Studying about your specific influencers – their lives, the climate of their society during the times in which they wrote – will open your eyes to the weight or kovod of this calling on our lives beyond what you could ever imagine. What was even more astounding to me was that my absolute favorite writer, Ida B. Wells Barnett, loved Christ. She grew to understand that her purpose in writing was to expose injustice as God saw it. Studying her scribal administration from this perspective changed everything for me when I began examining her life at only 15 years old.
With that said, I want to CHALLENGE YOU in your spiritual life in Christ as a scribe to ask Holy Spirit to reveal the rich heritage of our nation to you. We cannot remain on the outskirts of publishing from a Babylonian perspective. (If you know me personally, you know that we teach deeply concerning building a scribal nation whose hearts is fixed on revealing the Glory of God.) You will uncover so many prayer, intercessory and spiritual warfare points that will not only awaken understanding, but transform your life and increase your spiritual maturity.
In my quest, I stumbled upon a resource that highlights “Literary Landmarks” by state that has been invaluable to me in my scribal intercession as I travel and speak. I’m making sure that when I enter a state, I am aware of its history – especially literarily. I want to share one of those resources with you. It is called a “Literary Landmark Map” and is brought to you by the American Writers Museum.
Instead of giving you all the details, I want to challenge you to:
- Visit the web page: “Literary Map of the United States.”
- Find your state and review the resources listed.
- Rely on Holy Spirit’s leading concerning what you might be interested in learning or exploring.
- Plan an outing with your scribal group, where you can grow to appreciate the literary sacrifices of others, gain insight on the literary history (or lack thereof) in your region or state.
- Practice listening to what the Lord might share with you.
Listen, I’m not saying this site has everything. It is, however, lots of fun and has some resources of which you may not be aware. Finally, remember some of the best places to learn about the literary history within your state or region – especially within one’s culture – can be through well-established universities, state archives, state arts preservation agencies, history museums, established literary festivals and cultural museums.
As you search, keep Ezekiel 9 and Matthew 13:52 in your hearts. If there are significant literary landmarks in your state, schedule a visit. Have some fun.
