Arts and Faith Reflections
At the end of the day, at 5pm Bill and I have been attending Evening Prayer on Zoom. I enjoy the rhythm of this recurring time of prayer, and it helps to give us a structure to our lives. However, on Thursdays following Evening Prayer, we are treated to a half hour of ‘Arts and Faith’ reflections. These are led by our clergy and readers, and each one chooses a poem or painting to talk about for a few minutes, drawing out points and meanings we might well have missed. The poem or picture is shown to us on screen, and we are invited to ask questions or make comments. We are encouraged to look and really engage with the painting or poem which can have surprising results.
An extraordinary poem, presented by Ayla, that stands out in my mind is a mystical prayer/poem written by St. Teresa of Avila. It is called ‘Seeking God’ and it portrays God speaking in the first person directly to St. Teresa’s Soul. It begins
Soul, you must seek yourself in Me,
And in yourself seek me.
With such skill soul,
Love could portray you in Me
That a painter well gifted
Could never show
So finely that image. . . .
The painting that left the deepest impression on me was ‘The Water seller of Seville’ by Velazquez, presented by Handley. The water seller, an older man in a torn leather jerkin seemed so human I felt I knew him. But what was extraordinary was the way the two water pots were painted, so perfectly that you could ‘feel’ the pottery. The pottery of the large pot is so round and perfect and seems to come out of the painting presenting itself to us, offering us water. The colours are muted, dark and true. I had never seen it and it feels like a special Thursday gift. These sessions are proving to be an enriching time.
