Tag Archives: George Herbert

The Herbert Poem that Converted Weil

By Robin Bates | Published: January 18, 2020

George Herbert’s “Love (3)” prompted a religious breakthrough in French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Love (3)", affliction, religious doubt, Simone Weil | Comments closed

The Real Temple Can’t Be Destroyed

By Robin Bates | Published: November 16, 2019

Like Jesus, George Herbert (in “Scion”) sees the temple, not as a physical structure, but as the human heart.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Sion", Faith, Jerusalem temple | Comments closed

Standing Beside Us, Even As We Grieve

By Robin Bates | Published: November 2, 2019

In a sonnet written for All Souls’ Day, Malcolm Guite writes that, when we grieve, we are supported by all who have passed on, who reflect Christ’s light.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "All Souls", "Bitter-Sweet", Malcolm Guite | Comments closed

Cheer and Tune My Heartless Breast

By Robin Bates | Published: October 19, 2019

About prayer, Jesus at one point said to pay as though you are a desperate widow before an indifferent judge. Much of Herbert’s poetry sees God in this light.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Denial", Prayer | Comments closed

At Easter, God Pushes through Doubt

By Robin Bates | Published: April 20, 2019

Easter Sunday Sue Schmidt, occasional contributor to this blog and one of the most spiritual people I know, alerted me to this Jeanne Murray Walker poem about wrestling with doubt. Although it’s not explicitly an Easter poem, it describes God blazing up when everything seems empty—as God did on that Resurrection Sunday two millennia ago. […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Collar", "Light that came to lucille clifton", "Staying Power", Easter, Jeanne Murray Walker, Lucille Clifton, spiritual doubt | Comments closed

Strike My Heart So the Tears Will Flow

By Robin Bates | Published: April 18, 2019

Good Friday In her poem “Good Friday,” Christina Rossetti laments that she responds to Christ’s death like a stone, not a faithful sheep. Why can’t she be like the women who wept at the foot of the cross, or Peter who wept for his betrayal, or the sun and the moon that hid their faces? […]

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged "Altar", "Sonnet 14", Christina Rossetti, Good Friday, Holy Week, John Donne | Comments closed

Returning to the Misty Past

By Robin Bates | Published: October 18, 2018

John Gatta’s “Spirits of Place” is helping me understand why I have chosen to retire in my home town. Wordsworth, Stowe, Homer, and Frost help out as well.