In this interview, Fr. P.V. Joseph Buan Sing, SJ—author of the poem Close the Sky —reflects on how the experience of war has shaped the language, imagery, and prayer that permeate his poetry. Amid the daily reality of fear and uncertainty, a grounded and tangible faith emerges—one expressed through small yet powerful gestures of love and solidarity. This dialogue invites readers to discover where hope and faith can still be found, even when the sky seems to be closing in.
How did fear and daily life under bomb attacks shape the language and images of the poem?
Living under constant threat through firing of rocket-propelled grenade (RPGs), and bombing from war planes, these images came directly from the experiences of the people. Fear sharpened my attention to such ordinary life, so the poem names simple human actions that war tries to steal.
What does this threatening sky represent for you?
For me, the sky became a place of anxiety rather than openness or promise. It represents power beyond our control—technology, violence, decisions made far away that fall on ordinary people. Looking up was no longer prayerful but watchful. “Closing the Sky” is a cry for protection, not a denial of God.
Where did you find hope and faith in the midst of this war?
Through sustained pastoral and social engagement with children, young people, and elders, I came to recognise a quiet, everyday faith in God as it was lived in ordinary life. I encountered people who continued to love in the face of fear: nuns who chose to remain rather than flee, catechists who taught with discretion, mothers who cooked, fathers who tilled the land, children who prayed, young people who served, and neighbours who shared what little rice they had. Faith was embodied in small acts of courage and solidarity, not in grand declarations. Hope endured because people refused to allow violence the final word.
What helped you to understand and face so much pain through discernment?
Prayer rooted in experience helped me name my fear instead of escaping it. Discernment came through listening to my own inner movements and to the suffering of the people. The spiritual accompaniment – sharing about my joys and sorrows, fears and anxieties, with a spiritual father helps me make better discernment. Journaling down the experiences allowed me to hold pain before God without explaining it away. Understanding did not mean answers, but learning where God was leading me.
What role do hope and concrete action play in “Closing the sky” while still looking to God?
“Closing the Sky” ultimately signifies a world in which no bomb falls from above to annihilate or take life, allowing people to live and laugh, pray and play, learn and teach, work and walk without fear or anxiety. We continue to turn our gaze towards God, trusting that every loaf shared already opens heaven in our midst.
