hidden image

Bob’s Banter by Robert Clements God in a Church, Mosque or Temple..!

Robert Clements Robert Clements
11 Oct 2021

As I see the infighting in our country and across the world, over construction of mosque or Jewish temple, and church or other religious shrines, or hear arguments, even threats over the opening of religious places even during these Covid times, I am reminded of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, ‘Deeno Daan’ or ‘There is no god in that temple!’   
‘Said the royal attendant, “Despite entreaties, king, the finest hermit, best among men, refuses shelter In your temple of gold, he is singing to god beneath a tree by the road. The devout surround him in numbers large, their overflowing tears of joy rinse the dust off the earth. The temple, though, is all but deserted; just as bees abandon the gilded honeypot when maddened by the fragrance of the flower to swiftly spread their wings and fly to the petals unfurling in the bush to quench their eager thirst, so too are people, sparing not a glance for the palace of gold, thronging to where a flower in a devout heart spreads heaven’s incense.”
At this, The fretful king dismounted from his throne to go where the hermit sat beneath the tree. Bowing, he said, “My lord, why have you forsaken god’s mighty abode, The royal construction of gold that pierces the sky, to sing paeans to the divine here on the streets?’ … “You say the temple I made with twenty lakh gold coins, reaching to the sky, has no room for god!”
Said the tranquil hermit, “The year when the fires raged and rendered twenty thousand subjects homeless, destitute; when they came to your door with futile pleas for help, and sheltered in the woods, in caves, in the shade of trees, in dilapidated temples, when you constructed your gold-encrusted building with twenty lakh gold coins for a deity, god said, ‘My eternal home is lit with countless lamps in the blue, infinite sky; its everlasting foundations are truth, peace, compassion, love. This feeble miser who could not give homes to his homeless subjects expects to give me one!’ At that moment god left to join the poor in their shelter beneath the trees. As hollow as the froth and foam in the deep wide ocean is your temple, just as bereft beneath the universe, A bubble of gold and pride.”
Flaring up in rage the king said, “You false deceiver, leave my kingdom this instant.”
Serenely the hermit said to him, “You have exiled the one who loves the devout, now send the devout into the same exile, king.”
It is a peaceful God who wants a peaceful abode, certainly not in walls cemented with blood. Even King David, beloved of God was told not to build the Temple of Jerusalem because he was a man of war! Today, I believe, a God of peace, would prefer residing in the hearts of peaceful men and women, who love each other even if they be of different faiths..!

bobsbanter@gmail.com

Recent Posts

Amidst whispers of combating the rampant spread of misinformation, the Government orchestrated an amendment to the IT Act
apicture Aakash
25 Mar 2024
I was pleasantly surprised to receive your letter dated March 15 in both Hindi and English. You mentioned in your letter how you have received trust and support from 140 crore people
apicture A. J. Philip
25 Mar 2024
On January 12, 2024, a couple came to the USM to invite the community to their daughter's wedding. While sitting and talking, the conversation turned to Fr. Varghese Alengaden
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
25 Mar 2024
The Church's response to the Indian general election in a pluralistic world should be multifaceted
apicture Dr. John Singarayar
25 Mar 2024
We have seen different ruling styles. China recently concluded its weeklong annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing in an exultant tone.
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
25 Mar 2024
Half a decade ago, a Bollywood movie took the entire industry by storm. The Manoj Kumar starrer "Roti, Kapda aur Makaan"
apicture Jaswant Kaur
25 Mar 2024
Every time, movie lovers can't wait for the release of the latest James Bond production. James Bond movies focus on the titular character, a fictional British Secret
apicture Peter Fernandes, SFX
25 Mar 2024
The supreme iconoclast, Howard Zinn, observed that there is no such thing as impartial history. Even the most conscientious historians are partial in two ways
apicture Mathew John & Annie Mathew
25 Mar 2024
Securing 87 per cent votes in the 2024 presidential election with a voter turnout of 77.5 per cent, the 71-year-old Vladimir Putin will become the President of Russia for a fifth term
apicture Sacaria Joseph
25 Mar 2024
I raise this question mainly in the backdrop of the recent installations of bishops and an Archbishop in some of the north Indian dioceses
apicture M L Satyan
25 Mar 2024