Rublev, by Rowan Williams

Lent, Day 31

One day, God walked in, pale from the grey steppe,
slit-eyed against the wind, and stopped,
said, Colour me, breathe your blood into my mouth.

I said Here is the blood of all our people,
these are their bruises, blue and purple,
gold, brown, and pale green wash of death.

These (god) are the chromatic pains of flesh,
I said, I trust I make you blush,
O I shall stain you with the scars of birth

For ever. I shall root you in the wood,
under the sun shall bake you bread
of beechmast, never let you forth

to the white desert, to the starving sand.
But we shall sit and speak around
one table, share one food, one earth.

This poem is referring to Andrei Rublev's fourteenth century icon showing the persons of the Trinity as angels sitting round a table. Had an incredible experience today. My sister and I have set ourselves the task during Lent of working our way through a book of poetry, The Heart's Time, and for our Blip, taking a photo to illustrate the poem.

Well, I knew what this icon looked like, but have never seen it anywhere. Today, we were leaving Gloucestershire, where we've been having a perfect little break, and decided to take a walk first. Long story, but a woman in the library handed me a leaflet about walks, and suggested Slad, the village in the next valley, where Laurie Lee (author of Cider with Rosie) grew up. We drove down a narrow lane, and got out next to the church where he is buried. After looking at the gravestone, went into the church, and captivated by a fresh new window with elements from his life, such as the violin with which he worked his way round Spain.

Cursory look round the rest of the church and, to my total amazement, there was a copy of this exact icon! Just could not believe it. Seemed to me that God was showing us his personal interest in me, in us - AND our Blipping! - sharing one table, so to speak. It was the most moving finale to these few days, that have been filled with beauty and sharing between us four that will be treasured for ever.

(Their strange poses are becasue they're trying to copy the poses of the three in the icon.)