An unforgettable story of the power of love.
"Homer Smith, a black ex-GI, was a carefree and happy man on the open road - until he met a group of refugee nuns with an unworkable dream - to build a chapel in the midst of the desert.
Homer Smith set out, against impossible obstacles, to make that dream come true."
"Homer Smith, a black ex-GI, was a carefree and happy man on the open road - until he met a group of refugee nuns with an unworkable dream - to build a chapel in the midst of the desert.
Homer Smith set out, against impossible obstacles, to make that dream come true."
A spare, thoughtful tale about a drifter who stops to help a small group of nuns. Despite his reservations, he finds himself building them a chapel. Free will? Answer to a prayer?
A quick and easy read, but thought-provoking.
A quick and easy read, but thought-provoking.
Back of book: "Schmidt," Mother Maria marthe said, "Ve build a shapel. I show you." She reached into her pocket and produced a sketch on a piece of coarse wrapping paper. It was a good sketch of a small church. "Who builds it?" Homer asked. The nun's eyes drilled into him..."It you think that I'm building that, you're out of your mind," he said. Homer Smith, a black ex-GI, was a carefree man living the life of the open road - until he met a group of German-speaking nuns with a dream.
A must read for anyone.
Well, this was a good book. Good tale. One of the few times I think the movie was better than the book.
This play is based upon a short novella (barely over 100 pages) by William E. Barrett. The book evidently caused quite a stir in the literary field as it was subsequently made into a movie starring Sidney Poitier. An Army veteran decides to roam the Southwest, doing a bit of work as he wanders. Enroute to nowhere is particular, he teams up with a group of German nuns to build a chapel in the wilderness. A poignant character study, this will keep you entertained while traveling or sitting in a waiting room.
This short novella (barely over 100 pages) evidently caused quite a stir in the literary field. It was subsequently made into a movie (starring Sidney Poitier) and staged by F. Andrew Leslie. An Army veteran decides to roam the Southwest, doing a bit of work as he wanders. Enroute to nowhere is particular, he teams up with a group of German nuns to build a chapel in the wilderness. A poignant character study, this will keep you entertained while traveling or sitting in a waiting room.
There is a young legend developing on the west side of the mountains. It will, inevitably, grow with the years. Like all legends, it is composed of falsehood and fact. In this case, the truth is more compelling than the trappings of imagination with which it has been invested. The man who has become a legendary figure was, perhaps, of greater stature in simple reality than he will ever be in the oft-repeated, and expanded, tales which commemorate his deeds. Here, before the whole matter gets out of hand, is how it was...
His name was Homer Smith. -The Lilies of the Field
And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the gentiles who strive for all these things. But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. -Matthew 6:28-34
It's maddening to see so many references to The Lilies of the Field, both book and movie, as "minor." Sure, it's a short book. Yes, the characters and situation are so idealized that it's nearly a fable. No, it does not accurately reflect the state of race relations in America in the early 1960s, nor at any other time anywhere, for that matter. But ask yourself this : how many books have you read in your life that actually made you feel more optimistic about the prospects of the species ? If it's really that easy to create sympathetic characters and write a story that uplifts the spirits, why haven't more authors written them ? Isn't it fair to conclude that the paucity of such stories, and the memorable nature of this one, indicate just how major an occurrence it is when one gets written ?
At any rate, hopefully everyone knows the tale, either from the great film or from a required reading in High School. As the opening lines above indicate, Homer Smith is a nearly mythological figure, a kind of John Henry, Paul Bunyan, or Shane. In an unlikely turn of events, this black Baptist former Army sergeant ends up helping some Catholic nuns, refugees from East Germany, to build a chapel in the New Mexico desert, despite a lack of help, tools, and materials.
Homer Smith brings an invaluable set of qualities to his task, chief among them : self confidence, self reliance, a puritan work ethic, and a healthy amount of pride. Mother Maria Marthe, the Teutonic leader of the tiny band of nuns, brings one great gift, faith :
Faith. It is a word for what is unreasonable. If a man believes in an unreasonable thing, that is faith.
Mother genuinely believes that God will provide, even that Homer has been sent by God, and that He will see to it that the chapel is built. The powerful combination of this mismatched pair's inner strengths serves as an inspiration to the entire community. Hispanic, Anglo, and Black; Catholic and Protestant; wealthy and poor; German, Mexican, and American; they come together to create a unique house of worship. And as the legend of Homer Smith grows in the desert, Mother Maria Marthe says of him :
'That is the chapel of Saint Benedict the Moor. ... That painting of the saint is the work of Sister Albertine. The model was a man named Schmidt who came to us under the direction of God. He built this chapel with his two hands under great difficulties. It is all from him.'
She pauses then and her voice drops. 'He was not of our faith, nor of our skin,' she says, 'but he was a man of greatness, of an utter devotion.'
Just as Homer's devotion to his task and Mother's faith give them a certain greatness, the aspirational beauty of this book gives it too a greatness that defies that parsimonious "minor" classification
His name was Homer Smith. -The Lilies of the Field
And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the gentiles who strive for all these things. But strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today. -Matthew 6:28-34
It's maddening to see so many references to The Lilies of the Field, both book and movie, as "minor." Sure, it's a short book. Yes, the characters and situation are so idealized that it's nearly a fable. No, it does not accurately reflect the state of race relations in America in the early 1960s, nor at any other time anywhere, for that matter. But ask yourself this : how many books have you read in your life that actually made you feel more optimistic about the prospects of the species ? If it's really that easy to create sympathetic characters and write a story that uplifts the spirits, why haven't more authors written them ? Isn't it fair to conclude that the paucity of such stories, and the memorable nature of this one, indicate just how major an occurrence it is when one gets written ?
At any rate, hopefully everyone knows the tale, either from the great film or from a required reading in High School. As the opening lines above indicate, Homer Smith is a nearly mythological figure, a kind of John Henry, Paul Bunyan, or Shane. In an unlikely turn of events, this black Baptist former Army sergeant ends up helping some Catholic nuns, refugees from East Germany, to build a chapel in the New Mexico desert, despite a lack of help, tools, and materials.
Homer Smith brings an invaluable set of qualities to his task, chief among them : self confidence, self reliance, a puritan work ethic, and a healthy amount of pride. Mother Maria Marthe, the Teutonic leader of the tiny band of nuns, brings one great gift, faith :
Faith. It is a word for what is unreasonable. If a man believes in an unreasonable thing, that is faith.
Mother genuinely believes that God will provide, even that Homer has been sent by God, and that He will see to it that the chapel is built. The powerful combination of this mismatched pair's inner strengths serves as an inspiration to the entire community. Hispanic, Anglo, and Black; Catholic and Protestant; wealthy and poor; German, Mexican, and American; they come together to create a unique house of worship. And as the legend of Homer Smith grows in the desert, Mother Maria Marthe says of him :
'That is the chapel of Saint Benedict the Moor. ... That painting of the saint is the work of Sister Albertine. The model was a man named Schmidt who came to us under the direction of God. He built this chapel with his two hands under great difficulties. It is all from him.'
She pauses then and her voice drops. 'He was not of our faith, nor of our skin,' she says, 'but he was a man of greatness, of an utter devotion.'
Just as Homer's devotion to his task and Mother's faith give them a certain greatness, the aspirational beauty of this book gives it too a greatness that defies that parsimonious "minor" classification
A quick, sweet story. A good example of how we can't plan our own futures.
I'm probably reading too much in this, but the idea of a drifter encountering German nuns strikes me as allegorical for the spiritual drifter seeking something and finding Christian mysticism. Here, German Christian mysticism. Not bad company. This novel is not meant to be taken allegorically, at least I don't believe that was the author's 'conscious' intention. But I can't help reading it in this sense. I also like to take a small opportunity to defend the word 'mysticism' and the concept standing behind it. the reason why I see mysticism in this story is because of what the story is and what it represents to me. The story is a simple narrative about a group of nuns who encounter a drifter, a jack-of-all-trades who reluctanctly decides to build a church for them. This story is about the power of prayer, and of faith. The story is about a mode of living that is exemplified to perfection in Christ, whom the nuns emulate. The title itself is an allusion to Scripture.
But this story is mystical because of what 'mysticism' means, to me, and traditionally. Mysticism is merely another term for contemplation. Deep prayer and contemplation. And the story is mystical because it is simple. The story is also full of mystics, someone who embodies simplicity, a simple love for Christ. The main characters, German nuns and a drifter, are nearly perfect modern definitions of that term, mystic.
I recall a conversation I once had with a Christian woman. She was not an orthodox Christian but rather a progressive, someone who combined modern concepts with Christian theology. In our conversation, in explaining to her some obtruse theological concepts I threw in the word 'mystic' a lot. Finally this Christian friend of mine confessed that when she thought of that word, there was always a demonic connotation in it. That is truly a shame, because whenever I think of mysticism I think of St. Teresa de Jesus, a Spanish mystic who possibly coined the term. I have not done research on this. Anyway I bring this up now because this novel depicts mystics in the truest sense of that word, simple people with a deep love of God.
But this story is mystical because of what 'mysticism' means, to me, and traditionally. Mysticism is merely another term for contemplation. Deep prayer and contemplation. And the story is mystical because it is simple. The story is also full of mystics, someone who embodies simplicity, a simple love for Christ. The main characters, German nuns and a drifter, are nearly perfect modern definitions of that term, mystic.
I recall a conversation I once had with a Christian woman. She was not an orthodox Christian but rather a progressive, someone who combined modern concepts with Christian theology. In our conversation, in explaining to her some obtruse theological concepts I threw in the word 'mystic' a lot. Finally this Christian friend of mine confessed that when she thought of that word, there was always a demonic connotation in it. That is truly a shame, because whenever I think of mysticism I think of St. Teresa de Jesus, a Spanish mystic who possibly coined the term. I have not done research on this. Anyway I bring this up now because this novel depicts mystics in the truest sense of that word, simple people with a deep love of God.
