Poetry and God

The best-selling poet in the United States is the thirteenth Century Persian mystic, Rumi. Rumi was a mystic, a theologian, a teacher, and a scholar. His emphasis was on the loving relationship between God and humanity, and his poetry explores the tenderness and reciprocal caring found in this relationship. A major reason for the popularity of Rumi in contemporary Western culture can be found in the fact that, for Rumi, this relationship is portrayed as a relationship between lovers who care deeply for each other. Because of this, these are also magnificent love poems. Rumi was one of the great scholars of the Koran and draws  inspiration from that text. So the next time you find yourself yielding to the temptation to consider Islam as a violent and hateful religion, consider Rumi; his writings also reflect Islam's view of humanity.