Open Writing

Tha'll 'ave 'eeard tell o' t' Sarmon on t' Mahnt — an' 'appen seen it shown i' fillums, wi' Jesus standin' on top of a mahntin, preychin' ter gurt crahds o' fowk. There's nowt like that in t' Gospils, tha knaws. It's Sent Matthew 'at tells abaht it, an' what 'e says is this. It wor ter get away from t' crahds 'at Jesus went up a mahntinside, so 'e could talk to 'is disciples i' peace an' quiet, like. Matthew says 'at Jesus sat 'issen dahn an' talked ter t' disciples, teychin' 'em all sooarts o' grand an' wonderful trewths — some on 'em i' poetry, so as the' could learn 'em off bi 'eart, an' pass 'em on to others. Fer a start, ther's t' Beatitudes, eight sayin's 'at go summat like this ...

Tha mun think thissen blessed when tha's low i' sperrits, an' feels tha's nowt ter bi glad abaht. Think on! T' Kingdom of 'Eaven belongs ter thee!

I't fust place ther's a champion reward waitin'fer thee in 'eaven. An' i' t' second place, tha mun tak all t' nastiness as a compliment: this is just what fowk did ter f famous prophets 'at went afooare thi.

An' 'ere's a two-a-thri other speyks o' Jesus, ta'en from t' Sarmon on t' Mahnt — some on 'em reight cappin', an' reight 'ard ter live up tul ...

Tha'll 'ave 'eeard o' t' commandment 'Thou shalt do no murder'. What Ah'm tellin' thi nah, is this: Onnybody 'at gets angry 'at 'is brutther — baht a gooid reason — is i' danger o' God's judgement...

Tha'll 'ave 'eard o' t' commandment 'Thou shalt nut commit adultery'. What Ah'm tellin' thi nah, is this: Onny man 'at looks at a woman an' wants ter commit adultery wi' 'er, 'as done it already — in 'is 'eart ...

Tha'll 'ave 'eard t' sayin' "An ee fer an ee, an' a tooith fer a tooith'. What Ah'm tellin' thi nah, is this: Dooan't gi'e back what tha gets. If a chap clahts thi on t' cheek — let 'im claht thee on t' other, an' all! If a chap wants thi jacket — give 'im thi top coit inter t' bargin! If tha's fooarced ter go a mile — go one extra, an' mak it two mile! If a chap axes thi fer summat, gi'e 'im it. If 'e wants ter borrer summat, lend 'im it!

Tha'll 'ave 'eeard t' sayin' 'Tha mun luv thi neighbour — an' 'ate thi enemy!'. What Ah'm tellin' thi nah, is this: Luv thi enemies, an' pray fer fowk 'at's bein' nasty ter thi ... Niwer ferget 'at t' Almighty Fatther sends 'is sunshine an' rain dahn on t' gooid an' bad alike ... Nay, if tha's nobbut nice ter fowk 'at's nice back ter thee — what's clever abaht that? Even t' tax-collecters do t' same! An' if tha' nobbut speyks ter fowk 'at speyk ter thee, what's special abaht that? Even t' pagan Romans do t' same! No. What tha mun aim at is doin' what's reight — tryin' ter be perfect, same as thi 'Eavenly Fatther is perfect ...

An' think on! Stop worritin' abaht 'ah much brass tha can thoil fer this, that an't' other ... What tha owt ter bi thinkin' abaht is thi treasure in 'eaven ... Tha mun stop worritin' abaht food, an' drink, an' clooase — Tak clooase, fer example. Sither at t' wild flahrs! Even yon King Solomon, wi' 'all 'is gloorious apparel, 'ad nowt ter weear as grand as one o' these little flahrs. T' Almighty taks all that care wi't' wild flahrs an't' grass — 'at fowk dry an' shove under t' oven ter burn — so can't ta see at 'ell tak care o' thee?

Well, then. No mooare worritin' ower what tha's bahn to eyt, an' sup, an' weear ... T' Almighty knaws 'at tha needs all these things. But tha mun seek t' Kingdom of 'Eaven, an' ter do what's reight an' jannock — an' all thi needs 'll bi met.

So dooan't thee keep frettin' abaht what's bahn to 'appen termorn. Termorn can tak care of itsen. Each day 'as troubles enough of its awn — an' tha mun live one day at a time ...

An' stop pullin' other fowk ter pieces! It's same as if tha's lookin' at a speck o' sawdust i' someb'dy else's ee — an' tha's a gurt plank o' wood i' thi awn ee! Nay. Fust get t' plank aht o' thi awn ee, an' then tha'll bi able ter see better 'ah ter get aht yon bit o' sawdust i' t' other person's ee ...

An' beware o' false prophets — wolves i' sheep's clooathin', fowk 'at's all talk ... A gooid tree allus bears gooid frewt: a bad tree poor frewt — it's as simple as that. It's what fowk do 'at matters, nut what the' say ... So iwerybody 'at 'ears these words o' mine, an' taks 'eed on 'em, is same as a man 'at built 'is 'ome on t' rock. T' rain came silin' dahn, t' river bust its banks an' flooded ower it, an't' gales blew ageean it — but it stood firm, 'cos it wor built on t' solid rock.

But iwerybody 'at 'ears these words o' mine, an' taks no gaum on 'em, is same as a chap 'at built on sand. T' rains came silin' dahn, t' river bust its banks an' flooded ower it, an't' gales blew ageean it — an' it fell dahn. An' what a flaysome gurt fall it wor!