Poet, Maya Williams: Judas and Suicide

<p>In mid-August, Liam and Don were joined by Portland Maine’s Poet Laureate, Maya Williams. Maya is not only a creative, gifted spoken word artist and poet, they are also a suicide survivor, theological thinker, and utterly enchanting person.</p> <p>In this episode, Maya shares their poem, “Judas and Suicide,” and offers us a thought-provoking and spiritually penetrating reframing of the traditional religious views of suicidal ideation and suicide. Maya, Don, and Liam then talk honestly and openly about this sensitive topic, as Maya offers us a glimpse of a God who is present in our suffering and accompanies us, rejecting human views of sin and drenching us in grace and loving understanding that the world is, sometimes, a hard place to be.</p> <p>Before closing, Maya offers us another poem to consider. </p> <p>Read about Maya and read Maya’s work at <a href='https://www.mayawilliamspoet.com/'>https://www.mayawilliamspoet.com/</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Maya’s other text:</p> <p>Curses, Suicide, and “Just Pray About It”</p> <p>“So the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the</p> <p>steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.” Mark 5:13</p> <p>NET</p> <p> </p> <p>I jump off and hold my breath.</p> <p> </p> <p>There on the hillside, a great herd of pigs was feeding.</p> <p> </p> <p>My father</p> <p>asks</p> <p>Can you focus</p> <p> </p> <p>And the demonic spirits begged him,</p> <p> </p> <p>on having fun</p> <p>today</p> <p>at the lake house?</p> <p>There is</p> <p>trouble</p> <p>in your spirit</p> <p> </p> <p>‘Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.’</p> <p> </p> <p>Bubbles rev through my nose as I sink.</p> <p> </p> <p>My father</p> <p>says</p> <p>you can’t change the past.</p> <p> </p> <p>Jesus gave them permission.</p> <p> </p> <p>He never</p> <p>says</p> <p>that</p> <p>when I describe a</p> <p>positive</p> <p> </p> <p>memory to him.</p> <p> </p> <p>So the