Ash Wednesday
T.S. Eliot, from "Ash Wednesday"
Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man’s gifts and that man’s scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?
Because I do not hope to know again
The infirm glory of the positive hour
Because I do not think
Because I know I shall not know
The one veritable transitory power
Because I cannot drink
There, where trees flower and springs flow, for there is nothing again
Because I know that time is always time
And place is always and only place
And what is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place
I rejoice that things are as they are and
I renounce the blessed face
And renounce the voice
Because I cannot hope to turn again
Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something
Upon which to rejoice.
Karen Armstrong:
Armstrong's comment from the Speaking of Faith program, "The Freelance Monotheism of Karen Armstrong"
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/armstrong/index.shtml
Text of the entire poem:
http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-7/ash_wednesday_t_s_eliot.htm
Hear Eliot read the poem:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/armstrong/ashwednesday.shtml
Because I do not hope to turn again
Because I do not hope
Because I do not hope to turn
Desiring this man’s gifts and that man’s scope
I no longer strive to strive towards such things
(Why should the aged eagle stretch its wings?)
Why should I mourn
The vanished power of the usual reign?
Because I do not hope to know again
The infirm glory of the positive hour
Because I do not think
Because I know I shall not know
The one veritable transitory power
Because I cannot drink
There, where trees flower and springs flow, for there is nothing again
Because I know that time is always time
And place is always and only place
And what is actual is actual only for one time
And only for one place
I rejoice that things are as they are and
I renounce the blessed face
And renounce the voice
Because I cannot hope to turn again
Consequently I rejoice, having to construct something
Upon which to rejoice.
Karen Armstrong:
The center of that poem is when Eliot says, "because I do not hope to turn again, consequently I rejoice, having to construct something upon which to rejoice." And it seemed to me that now my project was if I couldn’t get joy spontaneously anymore, I was going to have to construct my well-being and my life, and even try to manufacture joy as carefully as an engineer will put together an airplane or a piece of intricate technology. This was to be my project, giving up hope of some salvation coming at me from outside myself. And things did take a turn for the better after that. They really did.
Armstrong's comment from the Speaking of Faith program, "The Freelance Monotheism of Karen Armstrong"
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/armstrong/index.shtml
Text of the entire poem:
http://www.msgr.ca/msgr-7/ash_wednesday_t_s_eliot.htm
Hear Eliot read the poem:
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/armstrong/ashwednesday.shtml
posted by mac | 5:40 AM
5 Comments:
I listened to the whole program this time.
"Well, awright den." It's an interesting interview, I think.
I find that most of the time I hear interviews on NPR, whether they be of a religious or political nature, they tend to find those who have their knowledge and understanding based on the wisdom of the great wise men and women of the world.
To have knowledge about "religion" is good, but having a relationship with God is better. When you are in relationship with God, you see and understand things in a different way. Not that this lady doesn't know Jesus, but due to the program, or maybe due to the "edit" process of the program, her love and understanding of "spiritual things" seem to be directed toward religion, not a relationship with God.
Jesus said believe in me, follow me, be crucified with me...and He did make it perfectly clear who He was and why He was worthy of being the Saviour of mankind. So, to paraphrase a great, wise, and knowledgable man, either Jesus was God or He was a liar and a lunatic.
Knowledge of man's wisdom and understanding will never be able to comprehend or explain God. But the Spirit will...should we believe in the One whom God sent.
To try and give a spiritual blessing on the great "prophets" of the world, including Jesus, clearly shows me (in what may be an edited program) that this lady thinks there are many saviours/religions to believe in.
I've studied those religions and at one time thought this way...but when I came into a relationship with Christ, my eyes were opened to the Word. The wisdom and knowledge of this world could not bring that understanding to me.
I believe that ALL mankind will be saved at the end of all things...but it will be because of Jesus, not religions or our knowledge of it.
Okay...got that off my chest!
Thanks for that, Mark. I like listening to these different voices and different minds. I'm pretty useless when it comes to being a believer like you, so I listen to these programs, in part, and to the world at large, for different ways to approach believing what I believe.
It's not useless to search for the Truth! God gives us each a different measure of faith and as we walk out our faith, hopefully, we learn to desire to know God. It's obvious that is what you desire or you would not care to hear what others think or believe.
These days I don't go to church, I don't read the latest, greatest, books that the super church or religious leaders write, and I find myself on a lonely road where most of my friends and family think that I have completely lost it! But, I have come to a place of desiring God's Word, His voice, His revelation, instead of allowing the voices and thoughts of man to distract me. I did that for too long!
I don't expect others to be where I am, but as a believer, I would be "useless as a believer" to not share what God has placed in my heart.
Because you are my brother, I want to hear your thoughts and I will always try to listen and read the things that are important to you, because I know that God uses you to speak into my life. I pray you feel the same way about me and I hope that we both will continue to challenge each other in our walk.
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