Sárospataki Füzetek 17. (2013)

2013 / 1-2. szám - TANULMÁNYOK - Sawyer, Frank: Krisztus, egyház és világ T. S. Eliot Kórusok "A sziklá"-ból, 1934 c. versében

CHRIST, CHURCH & WORLD IN T.S. ELIOT'S 1.934 Cl: lOl ES I ROM Till ROCK

The worshippers, self-given sacrifice of the snake. Take Your way and be ye separate.

Be not too curious of Good and Evil;

Seek not to count the future waves of Time;

But be ye satisfied that you have light Enough to take your step and find your foothold.

O Light Invisible, we praise Thee!

Too bright for mortal vision.

O Greater Light, we praise Thee for the less;

The eastern light our spires touch at morning,

The light that slants upon our western doors at evening,

The twilight over stagnant pools at batflight,

Moon light and star light, owl and moth light,

Glow-worm glowlight on a grassblade.

O Light Invisible, we worship Thee!

[84-5]

It has been commented,

“Each of the light images is almost literally a reflection, decreasing in brightness, of the great Light that illumines the world. Thus, because the visible Church most perfectly mirrors as much of the invisible order as it is possible for fallen man to see, the Church ought to be that institution which gives structure and meaning to man’s otherwise chaotic life. ...Because of the breadth of the Church, no man can be excluded from its organization so long as he recognizes God as the head of the whole. However, and this is most important, this system — of which the Church is only the external manifestation — exists whether man chooses to recognize it or not.”13

At the end of the pageant one church building has been added. Little altar lights represent the great light:

And when we have built an altar to the Invisible Light, we may set thereon the little lights for which our bodily vision is made.

And we thank Thee that darkness reminds us of light.

O Light Invisible, we give Thee thanks for Thy great glory!

[85]

The choruses end on a reference again to the Book of Common Prayer: “we give thanks to thee for thy great glory”.

IV. Aspects of Eliot’s Christology

13 Toby A. Olshin, ‘A Consideration of the Rock, University of Toronto Quarterly, vol. 39 (Toronto University Press, 1970), 314.

2013/1-2 SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK 77