The body of Christ is the historical expression of Jesus' love for us. We learn of Jesus' love in large measure by the love of those around us. These poems and creative nonfiction essays portray the beauty, truth, and mystery of the communion of the saints. Drawn largely from the author's life, the scenes presented and reflected on here point us not just toward the particularities of one person's history but toward the incarnation of God and the "second incarnations" that we are as we live amongst those who love us. Births, babies, little kids, teenagers, parents, grandparents, friends, Jesus and his friends all make appearances on these poetic pages.
Mark S. McLeod-Harrison is professor of philosophy at George Fox University. He is the author of four books, including Apologizing for God (Cascade Books) and Being at Home in the World (Wipf & Stock), and author of many professional journal articles, poems, and essays
"Mark McLeod's poetry and prose drag us masterfully on a vicarious adventure from childhood through fatherhood, forcing us to look passionately and squarely at the twisted shapes a truth can take. Who can say where the poet ends and the philosopher begins, or vice versa? It's hard to imagine a more deeply incarnational book--an everyday bliss-laden, pain-weary trek through the particular wonders of eternity!"
--William Jolliff, contributing editor to Windhover: A Journal of Christian Literature
"The poems and stories in Incarnations of the Heart are filled with fresh and revealing images: 'infinities hide in diapers'; 'Jesus came serving refreshments.' They surprise and delight. This is a book worth reading more than once."
--Clifford Williams, author of Existential Reasons for Belief in God
"That moment when someone has captured the wonderful paradox of humanity and divinity in synchronizing play--this is the gift Mark McLeod-Harrison offers his readers. At once a creative poet and caring philosopher, McLeod-Harrison is sensitive to life's surprises, inviting not just appreciation for the fullness of each day but also for the transforming wisdom of true incarnation."
--Kendra Weddle Irons, author of Preaching on the Plains: Methodist Women Preachers in Kansas