Monday 25 February 2008

Lenten morning prayer on Bonhoeffer's poem Christians and Pagans

Rev. Simone Sinn from Germany and Rev. Rolita Machila from Zambia led Lenten worship in the chapel this morning. They powerfully wove together a Lenten reflection on Bonhoeffer's poem Christians and Pagans with the gospel story of Jesus meeting the Samaratain woman.
The liturgy they put together for the third week in Lent can be found here. The sermon which they prepared and preached together can be found here. Rolita and Simone both work at the Lutheran World Federation in the department of theology and studies.
I case you don't know the poem here it is in German and in English:

Christen und Heiden ~ Christians and Pagans ~ Poem by Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1944

Christen und Heiden Menschen gehen zu Gott in ihrer Not,
flehen um Hilfe, bitten um Glück und Brot,
um Errettung aus Krankheit, Schuld und Tod.
So tun sie alle, alle, Christen und Heiden.

Menschen gehen zu Gott in Seiner Not,
finden ihn arm, geschmäht, ohne Obdach und Brot,
sehn ihn verschlungen von Sünde, Schwachheit und Tod.
Christen stehen bei Gott in Seinem Leiden.

Gott geht zu allen Menschen in ihrer Not,
sättigt den Leib und die Seele mit Seinem Brot,
stirbt für Christen und Heiden den Kreuzestod,
und vergibt ihnen beiden.

Christians and Pagans
People turn to God when they're in need,
plead for help, contentment, and for bread,
for rescue from their sickness, guilt, and death.
They all do so, both Christian and pagan.

People turn to God in God's own need,
and find God poor, degraded, without roof or bread,
see God devoured by sin, weakness, and death.
Christians stand with God to share God's pain.

God turns to all people in their need,
nourishes body and soul with God's own bread,
takes up the cross for Christians and pagans, both,
and in forgiving both, is slain.

2 Comments:

Pr. Dan Biles said...

An absolutely pathetic PC translation. A travesty of the English language.

Unknown said...

The translation isn't bad. If you want to criticize, be specific. What makes it "PC"? The original rhymes but doesn't scan. The translation neither rhymes nor scans, but that is to be expected in a semi-literal translation.