Poetry, O Dust of the Earth, O Grandfather (1)

In this reflection, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III speaks about his beginnings with Arabic poetry, and how poetry became a way to express his spiritual and human meditations. He started by contemplating the humility of man in his creation, that his origin is from the dust of the earth. He wrote verses expressing his deep awareness of this truth — that dust is both his origin and his destiny, reminding man of his humility and limitation.

Over time, as his knowledge of God deepened, his understanding of humanity evolved. He moved from viewing man as merely clay to seeing him as a divine being who carries the breath of God Himself. This vision combines the humility of origin with the glory of spirit — while the body is from dust, the spirit is from God, destined to return to Him.

Through this development in thought and poetry, Pope Shenouda highlights the link between humility and spiritual glory, between matter and spirit. Man is not just motionless clay, but a living soul directed toward God, in whom he finds his origin and purpose.

🔹 Main Idea: The evolution of man’s view of himself — from a being of dust to a spiritual creature bearing the image of God.
🔹 Spiritual Dimension: The balance between humility before God and awareness of the soul’s divine dignity.