An exploration of the relationship between compassion and the womb was declared the winning talk at the third Theology Slam final, on Thursday evening.
It was given by Imogen Ball, who is a final-year ordinand and MA student at Trinity College, Bristol. For a second year running, the final took place online.
The Theology Slam — a competition to find engaging young voices who think theologically about the contemporary world — was organised jointly by the Church Times, SCM Press, and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity (LICC).
In her talk, Ms Ball noted that the Hebrew words racham (to have compassion), rachum (compassionate), and rachamim (compassion) all share the same three root words as rechem: R-H-M. “Rechem is uniquely reserved for the female reproductive organ, the womb.”
She continued: “Now, just because these words share the same three foundational letters does not mean they have the same meaning. But there is something that catches my attention, a depth of meaning to be mined, when we mirror these strangely related terms. By mirroring the womb and compassion, we reveal glimpses of creative compassion.”
“Creative compassion builds relationships beyond a one-off handout: it invites people in rather than transferring a tenner. Creative compassion is active imagining; it is envisaging and enacting a future that is better” https://t.co/kRrbbNJL25
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) March 19, 2021