Mcentyre: What Would It Take?

What Would It Take? The romantic English poet Percy Shelley once said “Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.” Indeed, Marilyn Chandler McEntyre uses poetry as the medium through which she “makes beautiful” her understanding of Genesis 22:1-19. She asks pressing questions regarding the intentions of the characters in this classic tale, subtly weaving her theology through each line. Inspired by Rembrandt’s painting, McEntyre provides a Christian interpretation of the “Sacrifice of Isaac,” suggesting that Isaac prefigures the crucifixion of Jesus in the New Testament. To start, McEntyre questions the motivation behind Abraham’s actions. She simply says, “He (Abraham) really meant to do it.” This idea lines up with the biblical account of the story. Nowhere in the biblical narrative do we find Abraham attempting to argue or question God’s command to sacrifice Isaac. Some say Abraham’s incredible faith in God allowed him to give up his son. Søren

Poetry allows the artist to articulate his or her thoughts through carefully picked words and phrases deliberately positioned between one another. Poets often seek to address the heart of the matter at hand. Specifically, McEntyre drew me in with her honest evaluations of Abraham and Sarah, as well as her simple style of writing. Often, simplicity speaks louder than complexity in poetry. McEntyre’s line “What would it take?” stuck with me. She seems to be questioning both Abraham’s and God’s intentions. She later answers this question similar to how I answer it, as a Christian. It would take an Almighty God, centuries later, coming down to earth in the form of a human, sacrificing himself for underserving people. As E. Roop puts it, “God took the risk that Abraham would respond. Abraham took the risk that God would provide” (Fretheim). Abraham did not need to sacrifice Isaac, because God already had a plan of providing one,