This Great God, Like a mammy bending over her baby, Kneeled down in the dust Toiling over a lump of clay Till He shaped it in His own image.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- God is compared to a mother tenderly shaping a child from clay.
- In plain terms
- God is like a mom making a baby out of clay.
- What can you take from it?
- Divine creation is portrayed as nurturing care.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does this change views of God?
- What is the role of clay?
Another view
The metaphor blends gendered caretaking with traditional male deity imagery.
More from James Weldon Johnson
With his head in his hands, God thought and thought, Till he thought: I'll make me a man!
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