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
and that moment of time gave the meaning. This “moment of time gave the meaning” to all time. Christ is at the centre of God’s revelation. This can be expressed in many ways; let us see what Tillich says: “Whatever the rhythm of manifestations of the Kingdom of God in history may be, Christianity claims to be based on its central manifestation. Therefore it considers the appearance of Jesus as the Christ as the centre of history— if history is seen in its self-transcending character. ... In the very term ‘centre’ a critique of relativism is expressed. Faith dares to assert its dependence on that event which is the criterion of all revelatory events. [Through Christ] ... the maturity [of revelation] was reached; the time was fulfilled. This happened once in the original revelatory and saving stretch of history, but it happens again wherever the centre is received as centre.”16 Eliot (and also Tillich and many others) apply this “centre of history” as also a new centre for our lives — that is, as a new way of giving meaning. The manifestation of what Tillich calls the “Spiritual Presence” (of God) happens again today when we meet Christ. And that is exactly what Eliot also was emphasizing. Eliot sees the struggle to receive the divine light in our daily lives. Our metaphysical foothold is found in this ‘moment of time’. This is his answer to the meaningless of a circular existence, with which he begins the Chorus series: The endless cycle of idea and action, Endless invention, endless experiment, All our knowledge brings us nearer to our ignorance, All our ignorance brings us nearer to death... (7) Earlier he had portrayed the daily cycle of meaningless boredom in The Wasteland, where he points out the estrangement and failure of modernity. Then in The Magi Eliot points to the enigmatic challenge of conversion to Christ. Here in The Rock he points to the efficacy of the Invisible Light. The small moment of time we call the Incarnation, assures us of God’s love, and therefore of the meaningfulness of our existence in time.17 We may conclude that The Choruses from the Rock address some basic life-questions on a variety of levels: personal, social, political and ethical. Eliot thinks of the church as a light on a hill, but he also knows that this light is often dimmed or wrongly focussed. So without hiding the problems, he testifies to the light that comes from above. Christ, Church & world in t.S. [hot's 1934 CHORUSES from I 16 Paul Tillich, Systematic Theology (Digswell Place: James Nisbet, 1968), Vol.III, Part II, 388. 17 See Peter Revell, op.cit., 157 2013/1-2 SÁROSPATAKI FÜZETEK 81
