John Donne – Prayers, Poems, and Christian Ponderings

The Gospel story is old but it is always new.

It is hard to share an image of that first Nativity. This year I leave an empty square for you to imagine Bethlehem Square in whatever way you choose. I am still haunted by my one and only visit to Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers boarded our bus as we approached the city of Bethlehem to checkContinue reading “The Gospel story is old but it is always new.”

Immensity

I turn today to John Donne (1573-1631) and his poem Annunciation which is the second of seven sonnets under the title La Corona – yes Corona (Crown) a term we lived with for the best part of three years and sadly some continue to live with the mark of the Corona Virus. Donne uses theContinue reading “Immensity”

“Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,”

Bethlehem, in the West Bank, remains a difficult place to get to. I recall being searched by armed Israeli police and having my passport scrutinized before being allowed to proceed to the Church of the Nativity. The photo above shows not a manger but a chaotic presence of a border wall which surrounds Bethlehem. ThisContinue reading ““Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,””

Imagin’d Corners!

John Donne (1573-1631) died on March 31st 1631 – a mere 392 years ago at the age of 58. None of his poetry was published until after his death. A large part of his life was lived consumed by his own thoughts of mortality and death. The last 10 years of his life he wasContinue reading “Imagin’d Corners!”

Lo! faithful Virgin

Madonna and Child possibly 1230s Of solemnly hieratic beauty, this is one of only two works that can be confidently assigned to Berlinghiero, the leading painter in the Tuscan city of Lucca. It follows the Byzantine type known as the Hodegetria (“She who shows the way”), familiar from icons that arrived in Italy following theContinue reading “Lo! faithful Virgin”

La Corona: Annunciation

The photograph above is from The Cathedral of The Immaculate Conception, Wichita, Kansas. Choosing an image, of the story of the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she would give birth to God’s son, is quite a challenge (Luke 1:26-38). Some of the greatest artists over many centuries depict this moment only through “western eyes.”Continue reading “La Corona: Annunciation”