"Christianity Was Once An Eagle Message"
by Nils Bolander
Translated from the Swedish by Martin S. Allwood
Christianity was once an eagle message
Sprung from the nest on the highest mountain peak
On diving wings that glittered.
But we chastened its bold feathers,
Competently straightened its cutting beak
And lo!—it was a black bird,
A tame loquacious raven.
Christianity was once a lion gospel
Always seeking a warm and living prey,
A young lion of Judah.
But we clipped its sharp, crooked claws,
Stilled its thirst for the blood of the heart
And turned it into a purring cottage cat.
Christianity was once a desert sermon,
Mean and sharp as the terrible africus,
Burning as the desert sand.
But we turned it into a garden idyll,
Mignonettes, asters and pious roses,
A romantic mood in Gethsemane.
Lord, take care of our pious cowardice!
Give it swift eagle wings and sharp lion’s claws!
Give it scent of wild honey and simoom
And then say with the Baptist’s voice:
This is the victory that conquers the world.
This is Christianity.
Nils Bolander
- Lived 1902 to 1959
- Studied at Uppsala university (oldest center of higher education in Scandinavia; city of Uppsala is ecclesiastical center of Sweden)
- Became a vicar in 1947
- Known throughout Sweden for engaging sermons which filled churches in an era of low church attendence
- His sermons were recorded on grammophone and sold well
- Wrote a number of hymns and religious literature
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Translation Comparison
Christianity used to be an eagle gospel,
diving from its nest on the highest edge of a cliff,
With wings shining in its descent.
But we had to tame this bird of prey,
Straighten out its ferocious beak, and look,
It became a little finch, talkative and domesticated.
Christianity was once an eagle message
Sprung from the nest on the highest mountain peak
On diving wings that glittered.
But we chastened its bold feathers,
Competently straightened its cutting beak
And lo!—it was a black bird,
A tame loquacious raven.