Lessons in Lockdown - Making it through

Jesus the Carpenter, 1963, St Paul's Goodmayes - photography by Jonathan Evens

A 'Daily Devotion' for St Stephen's Rochester Row.

“The Makers” is a wonderful poem by Dorothy Sayers, used as a dedication to her scripts for ‘The Man Born to be King’ - a series of radio plays on the life of Christ, first broadcast by the BBC in December 1941. The poem reveals the interconnectedness of the creative process and reminds us of the ultimate source of our creative spirit – the Lord, our Maker.

The Makers

The Architect stood forth and said:
   “I am the master of the art :
I have a thought within my head,
   I have a dream within my heart.

“Come now, good craftsman, ply your trade
   With tool and stone obediently;
Behold the plan that I have made -
   I am the master; serve you me.”

The Craftsman answered : “Sir, I will;
   Yet look to it that this your draft
Be of a sort to serve my skill -
   You are not master of the craft.

“It is by me the towers grow tall,
   I lay the course, I shape and hew;
You make a little inky scrawl,
   And that is all that you can do .

“Account me, then, the master man,
   Laying my rigid rule upon
The plan, and that which serves the plan -
   The uncomplaining, helpless stone.”

The Stone made answer : “Masters mine,
   Know this: that I can bless or damn
The thing that both of you design
   By being but the thing I am;

“For I am granite and not gold,
   For I am marble and no clay,
You may not hammer me nor mould -
   I am the master of the way.

“Yet once that mastery bestowed
   Then I will suffer patiently
The cleaving steel, the crushing load,
   That make a calvary of me;

“And you may carve me with your hand
   To arch and buttress, roof and wall,
Until the dream rise up and stand -
   Serve but the stone, the stone serves all.

“Let each do well what each knows best,
   Nothing refuse and nothing shirk,
Since none is master of the rest,
  But all are servants of the work-

“The work no master may subject
   Save He to whom the whole is known,
Being Himself the Architect,
   The Craftsman and the Corner-stone.

“Then, when the greatest and the least
   Have finished all their labouring
And sit together at the feast,
   You shall behold a wonder thing:

“The Maker of the men that make
   Will stoop between the cherubim,
The towel and the basin take,
   And serve the servants who serve Him.”

The Architect and Craftsman both
  Agreed, the Stone had spoken well;
Bound them to service by an oath
  And each to his own labour fell.

“The Makers” begins with an Architect declaring himself to be the master; appealing to the Craftsman to follow his plans obediently. The Craftsman reminds the Architect that it is he who gives shape to the Architect’s “little inky scrawl” – and that he, therefore, is the master. Then the Stone speaks, reminding the others that he can “bless or damn” their plans simply by using the gifts he has been given to the best of his ability – by being a stone! He encourages the Architect and Craftsman to set aside their pride and focus on sharing their gifts, by doing what each knows best “since none is master of the rest, but all are servants of the work” – the work of God, who is master of all.  

Making our way through life isn’t something we can do alone. The pandemic has highlighted our interconnectedness; images of the crystal-clear waters in the canals of Venice reminded us of our close relationship with the environment; empty supermarket shelves and the tireless work of nurses and care-home workers reminded us of our dependence on (often low-paid) workers in the retail, logistics and public sectors. 

What connections have you noticed as you have made your way through the lockdown? Have you re-discovered long-forgotten gifts that you have begun to share? Perhaps you have noticed the absence of something that brings you joy – a gift you would like to receive from others? Please do send us your thoughts; a word, sentence, picture, video or poem to: lessonsinlockdown@gmail.com   

O Lord our Maker, grant us the wisdom to discern the gifts you have given us, the confidence to share them and the humility to receive them from others; in fulfilment of your holy will.

(The Makers is the ‘Dedicatory’ from the published scripts of ‘The Man Born to Be King’ – A Play-Cycle on the Life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ written for broadcasting by Dorothy L. Sayers and published by Victor Gollancz Ltd in London in 1946).