The Welsh Window

"An idea doesn't exist unless you do something about it. Thought has no real living meaning unless it's followed by action of some kind."

John Petts 

Photograph taken from www.bbc.co.uk

Last March I listened to a Radio 4 programme which told the story of how in 1963 a Welsh sculptor, John Petts, responded to hearing the news of a racist bombing half way across the world in America.

The story was new to me. It was the first time I had heard about John Petts and his creation of a Stained Glass window for the church that had been bombed in the attack. In contrast, I had heard many times of how on the 15th September 1963, right after Sunday school, a bomb exploded inside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.


Four children; Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collins, all 14, and 11-year-old Denise McNair were killed by the bomb that day. Whilst Birmingham had had over 50 racist bombings during the civil rights movement, this one seemed different to the world. There was a global outcry.

In Wales, John Petts decided to offer his talent to design and create a stained glass window to replace the ones that had been destroyed, and as a sign of solidarity and of sorrow. The money for the window was raised by a newspaper campaign, asking the people of Wales to each give "no more than half a crown". The window was installed in the church in 1965 and remains there to this day.

".....(John) returned home and struggled to come up with a design worthy of the occasion. "How could it begin to be near the huge issue that was involved at a Christian level – the problem of what we do to each other during the short time we have the gift of living on the earth?

Then it struck him. A verse from Matthew 25:40 that spelt out the Christian message of brotherly love: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Petts employed the last refrain: "You do it me".

Once the words were in place, the image followed. The window was installed in 1965. It showed a black figure, his chest thrust out and arms outstretched as though on a crucifix, the right one pushing away hatred and injustice, the left offering forgiveness. A rainbow, representing racial diversity, arcs over the head. Christ. As a black man. In the South. In the 60s." 

Gary Younge - The Guardian

The story of John Petts efforts and the significance of his act, has stayed with me. We so often hear the bad news, we seem to hear little of acts of goodness and love.

I am so inspired by this story.

Once again something is calling me to do a little bit more, what and how is not yet clear to me. All I know is that over the past few weeks I have really been enjoying creating pages in my BOD. I know that it is not time wasted. I do know that.

However I would really like to be sharing this creativity somehow, putting it to more use somehow....you know? I am not going to be returning to teaching at this stage in my life. I am looking, looking for other places and other ways in which I can be creative with others. Maybe somewhere, something that will also create some change or bring some pleasure to others. I am sure I will be posting more about this as time goes on.

Meantime, I hope you were also inspired by this moving story.