Sydney Carter was a poet and lyricist from the 1960's. He was English and religious. He was a firm pacifist and refused to carry a weapon during war--he drove an ambulance. In this poem, he talks about faith, in general. Everyone has to believe in something.
The Faith Came First
The faith came first.
In the beginning was
the way that I believe
and after that
came all that I believe in.
Hitler, Christ,
Apollo, Aphrodite
and Karl Marx
fruit, thorn or
flower on
a single tree.
Faith is the sap of it.
By faith I test
the gospel of St. Matthew,
Michelangelo,
Bach or the Beatles
but
the faith came first, I see
no other rock
but this to
build upon.
The Faith Came First
The faith came first.
In the beginning was
and after that
came all that I believe in.
Hitler, Christ,
Apollo, Aphrodite
and Karl Marx
fruit, thorn or
flower on
a single tree.
Faith is the sap of it.
By faith I test
the gospel of St. Matthew,
Michelangelo,
Bach or the Beatles
but
the faith came first, I see
no other rock
but this to
build upon.
