Morning.
I woke up wondering where my post today might take me. Its what I usually do. Have a cup of tea on my patio, and allow whatever my mind presents me to be the subject for the day. I am often surprised, nervous even that on this day nothing will come to mind to write about. But of course, all material is there for the listening to and for the seeing. Daily ordinary events in my life draw my attention and are a rich source for imagination - sometimes very simple, practical, recordings of an event or moment, and sometimes sacred. The title of my blog created in January acts as a direction of travel for me. Towards the Simple and the Sacred. Its focus invites my attention and intention.
And its an adventure really, outside of my control - perhaps a rather childlike enthusiasm for love, poetry and life and an innate silliness means that I often find things that delight me around most corners. Friends and family, creative partners and ideas, funny moments of found humour that makes me cry with laughter, cups of tea and slices of cake, flowers and seagulls! And sometimes tears that flow from some unexpected moment of sadness. All rich and curious experiences that present themselves perfectly just when I need them.
So this morning too is a case in point. I turned on Radio 4 at 6am and listened to Something Understood presented today by former hostage and journalist John McCarthy. And this is what I decided my blog today should reference.
The description of today's programme says:
The Greatest of These Is Love?
Duration: 30 minutes First broadcast: Sunday 12 May 2013
John McCarthy is joined by writer Salley Vickers to reflect on the centrality of love in our lives, considering I Corinthians 13. This is sometimes referred to as the "love chapter" of the New Testament and is often read at weddings and funerals. Tony Blair read it at Princess Diana's funeral.
The chapter includes images and phrases which are known to us all, such as the invitation to "put off childish things" and the mystery of "seeing through a glass darkly".
Salley Vickers' first novel, Miss Garnett's Angel, became a phenomenal word-of-mouth hit and was followed by other greatly loved books, such as Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards. Salley has a skill at merging ancient art and modern psychology in her stories and often deals with Biblical matters.
Her latest book The Cleaner of Chartres explores one of her best loved themes - the power of love to transform.
In this programme Salley considers I Corinthians 13 firstly as a piece of literature by examining how it works in terms of shape, tone, and images. She then brings her own experience to the chapter as both writer and psychotherapist. Questions arise as to whether it is true that "love never faileth" as the chapter says, what the value is of "putting off childish things", and whether it is always the case that love is greater that faith and hope.
The programme includes readings from Rumi, Viktor Frankl, Rilke and George Herbert, with music by Eric Whitacre, J.S Bach and Zbigniew Preisner.
Love Song
How can I keep my soul in me, so that
it doesn't touch your soul? How can I raise
it high enough, past you, to other things?
I would like to shelter it, among remote
lost objects, in some dark and silent place
that doesn't resonate when your depths resound.
Yet everything that touches us, me and you,
takes us together like a violin's bow,
which draws *one* voice out of two separate strings.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
Oh sweetest song.
Rainer Maria Rilke
 |
| Image from BBC Iplayer - Something Understood |
I woke up wondering where my post today might take me. Its what I usually do. Have a cup of tea on my patio, and allow whatever my mind presents me to be the subject for the day. I am often surprised, nervous even that on this day nothing will come to mind to write about. But of course, all material is there for the listening to and for the seeing. Daily ordinary events in my life draw my attention and are a rich source for imagination - sometimes very simple, practical, recordings of an event or moment, and sometimes sacred. The title of my blog created in January acts as a direction of travel for me. Towards the Simple and the Sacred. Its focus invites my attention and intention.
And its an adventure really, outside of my control - perhaps a rather childlike enthusiasm for love, poetry and life and an innate silliness means that I often find things that delight me around most corners. Friends and family, creative partners and ideas, funny moments of found humour that makes me cry with laughter, cups of tea and slices of cake, flowers and seagulls! And sometimes tears that flow from some unexpected moment of sadness. All rich and curious experiences that present themselves perfectly just when I need them.
The description of today's programme says:
The Greatest of These Is Love?
Duration: 30 minutes First broadcast: Sunday 12 May 2013
John McCarthy is joined by writer Salley Vickers to reflect on the centrality of love in our lives, considering I Corinthians 13. This is sometimes referred to as the "love chapter" of the New Testament and is often read at weddings and funerals. Tony Blair read it at Princess Diana's funeral.
The chapter includes images and phrases which are known to us all, such as the invitation to "put off childish things" and the mystery of "seeing through a glass darkly".
Salley Vickers' first novel, Miss Garnett's Angel, became a phenomenal word-of-mouth hit and was followed by other greatly loved books, such as Mr Golightly's Holiday, The Other Side of You and Dancing Backwards. Salley has a skill at merging ancient art and modern psychology in her stories and often deals with Biblical matters.
In this programme Salley considers I Corinthians 13 firstly as a piece of literature by examining how it works in terms of shape, tone, and images. She then brings her own experience to the chapter as both writer and psychotherapist. Questions arise as to whether it is true that "love never faileth" as the chapter says, what the value is of "putting off childish things", and whether it is always the case that love is greater that faith and hope.
The programme includes readings from Rumi, Viktor Frankl, Rilke and George Herbert, with music by Eric Whitacre, J.S Bach and Zbigniew Preisner.
I particularly liked a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke which was read on the programme, I haven't heard it before - a gentle exploration of love and soul and their place in our lives. I also find the extract from Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning hugely inspiring.
Love Song
How can I keep my soul in me, so that
it doesn't touch your soul? How can I raise
it high enough, past you, to other things?
I would like to shelter it, among remote
lost objects, in some dark and silent place
that doesn't resonate when your depths resound.
Yet everything that touches us, me and you,
takes us together like a violin's bow,
which draws *one* voice out of two separate strings.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
Oh sweetest song.
Rainer Maria Rilke
This programme does my blog for me today - thank you John!
Its definitely worth a listen and will be available on BBC Iplayer shortly
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01sd0hh
Ps. In case you were wondering - my rather wonky Victoria Sponge went down a treat with my daughter and her boyfriend yesterday! Hee-Hee.
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