"H'm" by R.S.Thomas
R.S.Thomas was a welsh poet and Anglican priest. He plied his trade (if "trade" is the right word) among the hill farmers of Wales. Quite a bleak existence at times and one of his greatest poems is "The Hill Farmer Speaks" which speaks of "otherness" and acceptance - and other things.
But here is another of his poems, "H'm", which speaks of love.
and one said
speak to us of love
and the preacher opened
his mouth and the word God
fell out so they tried
again speak to us
of God then but the preacher
was silent reaching
his arms out but the little
children the ones with
big bellies and bow
legs that were like
a razor shell
were too weak to come
There is a statue of Amida Buddha outside one of the many Shin (Pure Land) Buddhist temples in Japan...."Amida Looking Back". Amida (he or she or it) is shown with her hands in the mudras of teaching, of invitation. But her head is turned, her first thought for those who do not, or cannot come, for whatever reason.
As I see it we care or we do not. We reflect upon these things or we do not. For me there is no evangelisation involved.
That is it.
But here is another of his poems, "H'm", which speaks of love.
and one said
speak to us of love
and the preacher opened
his mouth and the word God
fell out so they tried
again speak to us
of God then but the preacher
was silent reaching
his arms out but the little
children the ones with
big bellies and bow
legs that were like
a razor shell
were too weak to come
There is a statue of Amida Buddha outside one of the many Shin (Pure Land) Buddhist temples in Japan...."Amida Looking Back". Amida (he or she or it) is shown with her hands in the mudras of teaching, of invitation. But her head is turned, her first thought for those who do not, or cannot come, for whatever reason.
As I see it we care or we do not. We reflect upon these things or we do not. For me there is no evangelisation involved.
That is it.
