Questioning God and Becoming a Father with a Poem by Carlos Andrés Gómez
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 50 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 15 minutes
what lessons does His book
refuse?
- Carlos Andrés Gómez
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale. Then listen to “Father” by Carlos Andrés Gómez read by Pádraig Ó Tuama.
Prompt.
Here’s a quote from Pádraig Ó Tuama about this poem:
“That’s what I loved the poem is that it felt theological and embodied, all at once. And I think that’s the best kind of theology, but, often, theology can feel very disembodied, and human experience can feel embodied. And I think he brought the question about thinking about real meaning and about thinking about how any holy book can speak to the reality of everyday life, right into the guts of being human, locating us in 121st Street or locating us in Times Square or locating us in any part of any city, where the question of God comes face-to-face with the question of pain and the way that humans hurt humans.”
And here’s one more:
“And so, clearly, then, you are asking the question of theodicy, the question from the Book of Job: How can God be present when this kind of reality is happening? And what lessons does his book refuse? It seems to be that he’s suggesting that the holy book — the Bible, I suppose — is refusing to learn lessons from the way that life is being experienced in the daily reality.
And I love that. There’s a challenge to the idea about religion that thinks it knows everything. And really, he’s saying, What lessons are you refusing to learn? He’s thinking that religion has lessons to learn, rather than other people.”
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and journal or take notes in response to the poem, the quotes, and/or the questions and prompts below.
How does your body connect to your theology?
How does your body help you belong to yourself, others, your places, and the larger world around you?
Describe your current location—your physical body in this physical place right now. Then move out in concentric circles around you, broadening the scope of your current location. Include concrete details and more abstract feelings and ideas, if you like.
What lessons do you want religion to learn from your daily reality?
Want More?
Listen to the entire Poetry Unbound episode featuring “Father” by Carlos Andrés Gómez
Learn more about Carlos Andrés Gómez
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Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
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