These are the lyrics of one of my favorite bands, mewithoutYou. While most of us would agree that song usually consists of sung poetry, this band is unique in that the lead singer essentially dramatically recites his poetry to music. It is quite amazing, and I encourage you to check them out. Anyway, my point is: read these words like you would a poem. I have posted the poem twice—once as it reads from the CD insert, and again as my own linear interpretation.
Seven Sisters
HE MADE THE WORLD A GRASSY ROAD BEFORE OUR BARE, WANDERING FEET, AND CRUSHED THE STONES INTO THE SOFTEST SAND BETWEEN OUR TOES, BUT WE’RE WONDERING WHERE TO SLEEP, CLEVER WORDS ON PAGES TURN TO FRAGMENTS, CIRCLES, POINTS AND LINES, AND COVER THEM LIKE CARPETS, WITH GRACEFUL, MEANINGLESS ORNAMENTAL DESIGNS COME QUICK, YOU LIGHT THAT KNOWS NO EVENEING – COME, ALONE TO THE ALONE! THERE ARE A THOUSAND SANITIES WORTH LEAVING TO TAKE YOUR MADNESS HOME, YOU DANCE INSIDE MY CHEST WHERE NO ONE SEES YOU, BUT SOMETIMES I SEE YOU REJOICE, THE CLEANSING OF MY LIPS – REJOICE, SALVATION OF MY SOUL! BUT I STILL HAVE A THOUSAND HALF-LOVES (OH MY GOD! I WANT TO SHOOT MYSELF JUST THINKING ABOUT IT) AND YOU THINK I DON’T MEAN WHAT I SAY? I MEAN EVERY WORD I SAY. I THREW A STONE DOWN AT THE REFLECTION OF MY IMAGE IN THE WATER, AND IT ALTOGETHER DISAPPEARED. I BURST, IT SHATTERED ME LIKE A BULLET THROUGH A BOTTLE, AND I’M EXPECTED TO BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THIS IS REAL.
Seven Sisters
He made the world a grassy road before our bare, wandering feet
And crushed the stones into the softest sand between our toes,
But we’re wondering where to sleep,
Clever words on pages turn to fragments, circles, points and lines,
And cover them like carpets, with graceful, meaningless ornamental designs.
Come quick, you light that knows no evening – come, alone to the alone!
There are a thousand sanities worth leaving to take your madness home,
You dance inside my chest where no one sees you, but sometimes I see you.
Rejoice, the cleansing of my lips – rejoice, salvation of my soul!
But I still have a thousand half-loves
(Oh my God! I want to shoot myself just thinking about it)
And you don’t think I mean what I say? I mean every word I say.
I threw a stone at the reflection of my image in the water, and it altogether disappeared.
I burst, it shattered me like a bullet through a bottle,
And I’m expected to believe that any of this is real.
http://www.mewithoutyou.com/
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Tradition
[This short entry on Tradition was a brief devotional piece I gave at church this Sunday night, and therefore the original audience was a congregation of protestant Christians. This was by no means an attempt at a substantial exposition on my understanding of the church's tradition, nor even a well-thought-out essay, but merely a comment given to a group of believers about my appreciation for Christian tradition in a time when many of my peers shy away from such a notion.]
Tradition. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? Does it remind you of all the things you ought to do because you were told to? Do you think of a time-honored practice or principle? Do you think of the way religion should be and how things are changing too fast? For some of you does it evoke an emotion of scorn and contempt for things people have told you must be done “for the sake of tradition?” Do you think of those things your parents love about church that you don’t understand? While tradition can refer to customs and habits, or an inherited pattern of thought or action, I would like to paint for you a healthy picture of Christian tradition.
My most basic understanding of the word tradition comes from its Latin root, tradere, which can mean: to hand over, surrender, deliver; to hand down, bequeath, transmit, pass on; to relate, recount; to teach. Now, of course, that Latin word does not mean all those things in every context, but it can help us understand what Christian tradition is: the principles and practices of our faith that have been delivered, handed down, or passed on to us; the very gospel that we must relate, recount, and teach to people new to the Christian faith.
Throughout the life of the ancient church, before there were any major divisions, the holy fathers of the church gathered in ecumenical, or universal, councils to deliberate and affirm matters of the Christian faith. In the year of our Lord 381, in Constantinople, the holy fathers gathered with such a purpose. There, and at every ecumenical council thereafter the following creed was confirmed. We should not think that this creed was written at the councils, but rather it was already in usage in the churches, and was merely affirmed by the fathers to be the true faith handed down from the Apostles and the fathers of the faith. It is known today as the Nicene Creed, and is the Christian doctrine most agreed upon by churches East and West, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant denominations, including ourselves. This has meaning to me, since it is the gospel that we share, the creed that unites all of Christendom, despite our divisions. This is the creed:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the Right Hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead. Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And in one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
What has been handed down, or passed on to us? Isn’t it more than just all the things our parents told us to do in church? Isn’t it even more than any creed we have said? Having heard and believed the gospel of Christ, have we not been instructed in true piety and devotion, whose essence consists of: holistic, loving obedience and service to God; love and service to others; submission and obedience to those in authority over us; and the proclamation of the good news? And have we not learned that these ends may be accomplished by means of prayer, attention to the Holy Scriptures, continuing in the sacramental life of the church, and full reliance on God—so that we may be enabled by his Spirit to exhibit the divine virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self control?
This is the whole gospel—my tradition, and I hope yours as well: We have heard the good news, and, having turned from the Devil and sin, we believe in Christ’s words, life, death, and resurrection. These have been preserved in the writings of Scripture and the teachings of his Apostles. Let us obey what we have heard, imitating Christ and continuing in him, that we may participate in the Divine life of God, and hope for his eternal kingdom.
Let us be thankful for this gospel tradition, and let us hand it down, deliver it, pass it on to our families, to our friends, to our enemies, and to all who have ears to hear.
Tradition. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? Does it remind you of all the things you ought to do because you were told to? Do you think of a time-honored practice or principle? Do you think of the way religion should be and how things are changing too fast? For some of you does it evoke an emotion of scorn and contempt for things people have told you must be done “for the sake of tradition?” Do you think of those things your parents love about church that you don’t understand? While tradition can refer to customs and habits, or an inherited pattern of thought or action, I would like to paint for you a healthy picture of Christian tradition.
My most basic understanding of the word tradition comes from its Latin root, tradere, which can mean: to hand over, surrender, deliver; to hand down, bequeath, transmit, pass on; to relate, recount; to teach. Now, of course, that Latin word does not mean all those things in every context, but it can help us understand what Christian tradition is: the principles and practices of our faith that have been delivered, handed down, or passed on to us; the very gospel that we must relate, recount, and teach to people new to the Christian faith.
Throughout the life of the ancient church, before there were any major divisions, the holy fathers of the church gathered in ecumenical, or universal, councils to deliberate and affirm matters of the Christian faith. In the year of our Lord 381, in Constantinople, the holy fathers gathered with such a purpose. There, and at every ecumenical council thereafter the following creed was confirmed. We should not think that this creed was written at the councils, but rather it was already in usage in the churches, and was merely affirmed by the fathers to be the true faith handed down from the Apostles and the fathers of the faith. It is known today as the Nicene Creed, and is the Christian doctrine most agreed upon by churches East and West, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant denominations, including ourselves. This has meaning to me, since it is the gospel that we share, the creed that unites all of Christendom, despite our divisions. This is the creed:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the Right Hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead. Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And in one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
What has been handed down, or passed on to us? Isn’t it more than just all the things our parents told us to do in church? Isn’t it even more than any creed we have said? Having heard and believed the gospel of Christ, have we not been instructed in true piety and devotion, whose essence consists of: holistic, loving obedience and service to God; love and service to others; submission and obedience to those in authority over us; and the proclamation of the good news? And have we not learned that these ends may be accomplished by means of prayer, attention to the Holy Scriptures, continuing in the sacramental life of the church, and full reliance on God—so that we may be enabled by his Spirit to exhibit the divine virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self control?
This is the whole gospel—my tradition, and I hope yours as well: We have heard the good news, and, having turned from the Devil and sin, we believe in Christ’s words, life, death, and resurrection. These have been preserved in the writings of Scripture and the teachings of his Apostles. Let us obey what we have heard, imitating Christ and continuing in him, that we may participate in the Divine life of God, and hope for his eternal kingdom.
Let us be thankful for this gospel tradition, and let us hand it down, deliver it, pass it on to our families, to our friends, to our enemies, and to all who have ears to hear.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Merry Xmas
The other day I was sitting with my friend Jeff Brady in the Christian Ministries building on the IWU campus, and he was reading the Chronicle-Tribune, the premier newspaper of Marion, IN. He read aloud a letter to the editor, and afterwards I decided to write my own letter to the editor in response. Below I have posted both the original letter and my response.
No 'Merry Christmas?' Humbug!
An old issue is about to raise its ugly head again. The un-willingness of many stores to even acknowledge the coming holiday with a "Merry Christmas" displayed on their private business.
Someone somewhere might be offended.
Let me state now: I am a Christian, and I am offended. I am offended, of course, by the term "Merry Xmas" as anyone of intelligence should be.
I am nearly equally offended by silly attempts to avoid the seemingly harmless word "Christmas" and replace it with the generic "Happy holidays" or the confusing "Season's greetings."
I have a simple proposal for all people tired of the annoying and confusing word games. This year, if you believe in Christmas, do your Christmas gift shopping only at stores that have the words "Merry Christmas" displayed unashamedly on their store fronts.
Why spend your Christmas money in a place that does not support the holiday you are celebrating? And have a Merry Christmas.
[I have removed the author’s name from the end of the letter. He resides in Marion, IN.]
Originally published November 18, 2005
This is the letter I have written in response:
Dear Chronicle-Tribune and Grant County readership,
In response to the previous letter to the editor “No ‘Merry Christmas?’ Humbug!” published Nov. 18, 2005:
While we ought not to judge the motives of businesses who post signs using the allegedly blasphemous “Xmas,” we may become a little more tolerant of such practices with the help of some history.
In Greek, the letter X (chi), is the first letter of the word christos (anointed), from which we get the appropriate title of the Lord Jesus—‘Christ.’ This was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. When Jesus asked his disciples about his identity, we are told in the Gospel of Matthew that Simon Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16, NRSV).
For Jesus’ first followers and also for the earliest Christians, who gave Jesus of Nazareth the title Christ, they were calling him anointed, Messiah, king; declaring him to be the savior of God’s people.
The two Greek letters XP (chi-rho) were the first two letters of christos, and became a monogram of Christ. It was one of the earliest Christian symbols for the faithful under persecution.
Later on in the church’s history, many writers, for the sake of saving space in manuscripts, would abbreviate the Lord’s name with many different monograms, including: XP, XC, X, IC, IX, and IXC.
So X has been a symbol of ‘Christ’ for a very long time. Abbreviations other than Xmas (for Christmas) include Xian and Xianity (for Christian and Christianity). As a good example of orthodox modern usage by Christians, Duke Divinity School lists its Christian theology courses under the abbreviation XTIANTHE.
Thus regardless of business motives, Xmas is not a debasing of Christ by replacing his name with an X, but rather an historical abbreviation of his name fully acceptable by orthodoxy.
And is there really anything that terrible about “Season’s Greetings,” or “Happy Holidays?” Have we not become more sensitive to people of other faiths, as we should, recognizing that not all celebrate Christmas? By all means, let us use “Merry Christmas” as we please, but let us not scorn those who do not.
Besides, albeit sad to some, we can no longer presume that when most people think of Christmas, they think of the coming of God’s Son in the flesh for our salvation.
Peace to you this Christmas and Holiday Season,
Scott David Hendricks
No 'Merry Christmas?' Humbug!
An old issue is about to raise its ugly head again. The un-willingness of many stores to even acknowledge the coming holiday with a "Merry Christmas" displayed on their private business.
Someone somewhere might be offended.
Let me state now: I am a Christian, and I am offended. I am offended, of course, by the term "Merry Xmas" as anyone of intelligence should be.
I am nearly equally offended by silly attempts to avoid the seemingly harmless word "Christmas" and replace it with the generic "Happy holidays" or the confusing "Season's greetings."
I have a simple proposal for all people tired of the annoying and confusing word games. This year, if you believe in Christmas, do your Christmas gift shopping only at stores that have the words "Merry Christmas" displayed unashamedly on their store fronts.
Why spend your Christmas money in a place that does not support the holiday you are celebrating? And have a Merry Christmas.
[I have removed the author’s name from the end of the letter. He resides in Marion, IN.]
Originally published November 18, 2005
This is the letter I have written in response:
Dear Chronicle-Tribune and Grant County readership,
In response to the previous letter to the editor “No ‘Merry Christmas?’ Humbug!” published Nov. 18, 2005:
While we ought not to judge the motives of businesses who post signs using the allegedly blasphemous “Xmas,” we may become a little more tolerant of such practices with the help of some history.
In Greek, the letter X (chi), is the first letter of the word christos (anointed), from which we get the appropriate title of the Lord Jesus—‘Christ.’ This was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. When Jesus asked his disciples about his identity, we are told in the Gospel of Matthew that Simon Peter said to Jesus, “You are the Christ [Messiah], the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16, NRSV).
For Jesus’ first followers and also for the earliest Christians, who gave Jesus of Nazareth the title Christ, they were calling him anointed, Messiah, king; declaring him to be the savior of God’s people.
The two Greek letters XP (chi-rho) were the first two letters of christos, and became a monogram of Christ. It was one of the earliest Christian symbols for the faithful under persecution.
Later on in the church’s history, many writers, for the sake of saving space in manuscripts, would abbreviate the Lord’s name with many different monograms, including: XP, XC, X, IC, IX, and IXC.
So X has been a symbol of ‘Christ’ for a very long time. Abbreviations other than Xmas (for Christmas) include Xian and Xianity (for Christian and Christianity). As a good example of orthodox modern usage by Christians, Duke Divinity School lists its Christian theology courses under the abbreviation XTIANTHE.
Thus regardless of business motives, Xmas is not a debasing of Christ by replacing his name with an X, but rather an historical abbreviation of his name fully acceptable by orthodoxy.
And is there really anything that terrible about “Season’s Greetings,” or “Happy Holidays?” Have we not become more sensitive to people of other faiths, as we should, recognizing that not all celebrate Christmas? By all means, let us use “Merry Christmas” as we please, but let us not scorn those who do not.
Besides, albeit sad to some, we can no longer presume that when most people think of Christmas, they think of the coming of God’s Son in the flesh for our salvation.
Peace to you this Christmas and Holiday Season,
Scott David Hendricks
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Emily Dickinson Writing Assignment
This is a writing assignment I did for my World Literature class. We had to choose an Emily Dickinson poem and write a reflection on it:
1768.
Lad of Athens, faithful be
To Thyself,
And Mystery—
All the rest is Perjury—
Part 1
As I was browsing the online database of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, I saw only the first line to this poem, and clicked on the link to it—because I consider myself a student; not just someone who goes to school, but someone who is eager to learn (the meaning of the Latin root of the word student, studere, means “to be eager for”). I took “Lad of Athens . . .” to refer to the student, as historically Athens was known as a center of learning and philosophy. Indeed it is the place whence “Western civilization” has its origin. It is probably also worth mention that the name Athens (Gk Athenai, Lat. Athenae) was named after Athena, goddess of war and, especially pertinent here, wisdom. We also recall the famous quote of the church father Tertullian, “What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem?” He was emphasizing the irrelevance of the pagan Academy (which had its origins in Athens) to the Church.
I chose this poem not only because I am a student, but also because it speaks of the virtue of honesty, which is a large issue for any who studies—to set aside one’s bias for the sake of truth. This is especially a crucial issue for the Christian academic, as we must avoid the compartmentalization of truth into separate cubicles of “our faith” and “general truth.”
This poem’s major theme is the student’s constant duty to be honest—with himself and with mystery. This faithfulness to mystery could mean many things. It may refer to the learner’s responsibility to seek knowledge of the unknown. On the other hand, it may refer to the necessity of humility—the student’s duty to recognize the limitations of his human capacity; that there will always be more to know; that we can never stop learning. The reader may also interpret ‘Mystery’ to refer to God, but to me that seems a desperate attempt for the poem to be spiritual, forsaking the immediate context of ‘Athens.’
Here is my reading: Student, be honest with yourself. Earnestly seek to understand that which you do not, while simultaneously realizing that there is no pinnacle to be attained; be humbled by the notion that much will remain unknown to you. Outside of these you lie to yourself. Do not turn a blind eye to truth that hurts, or that you do not understand. Examine everything to receive what is true, but never let your knowledge be frozen, for what is to be known is infinite and you are not.
Part 2
Lately I have been in discussion with friends and professors, and am also considering writing a book on the place of truth in the Christian’s faith. I have come to a realization over the past year that the world is not as black and white as I thought it was, and as for those “moral relativists,” well—I have become one of them (with good scriptural defense; Paul was one, see discussions on eating meat sacrificed to idols in Romans or 1 Corinthians). After my first year of college there remains not so much that is universal.
And so, for the Christian scholar, it can be frightful to study the origins of one’s faith, examining outside influences and inconsistencies, while still trying to remain faithful to what we think to be our religion. For example, my friend Dusty is taking Religions of the World right now, and is very interested in the development of the doctrine of hell. If it was not a part of Jewish thought until after the exile, when it was integrated by the Jews from a foreign religion, then how do we still believe in its legitimacy? These are the kinds of things that make this faith of ours into a frayed rope, Dusty says, and we have many loose ends. It seems that people either hang on to that frayed rope so tightly that it cuts their hands, or they coat it with rubber so that it’s easier to hold onto, ignoring the frayed ends. We have a problem. If we really believe that our faith is true, then we must believe it is so. We cannot divide truth into boxes of “Christian truth” and “secular truth” if the facts found in both boxes happen to be so.
From the wisdom of many professors who have dealt with this very issue, I have gleaned the one thing that I can be sure of even if the Scriptures were proved to be false—the creeds. I can say, if all else fails, that Christ was born, Christ was crucified, dead, buried; Christ is risen, Christ will come again. These are the main tenets of my faith, and to them I can cling no matter what.
So the academic virtue of honesty, and thus avoidance of denial, has become very real to me over the past few months. I may come across things in my studies that do not fit well with all I have been brought up to believe. However, if I deny these things, or even worse ignore them all together and choose not to deal with them at all, I become a liar to those outside my faith; one who is not willing to be honest, one who commits perjury.
1768.
Lad of Athens, faithful be
To Thyself,
And Mystery—
All the rest is Perjury—
Part 1
As I was browsing the online database of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, I saw only the first line to this poem, and clicked on the link to it—because I consider myself a student; not just someone who goes to school, but someone who is eager to learn (the meaning of the Latin root of the word student, studere, means “to be eager for”). I took “Lad of Athens . . .” to refer to the student, as historically Athens was known as a center of learning and philosophy. Indeed it is the place whence “Western civilization” has its origin. It is probably also worth mention that the name Athens (Gk Athenai, Lat. Athenae) was named after Athena, goddess of war and, especially pertinent here, wisdom. We also recall the famous quote of the church father Tertullian, “What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem?” He was emphasizing the irrelevance of the pagan Academy (which had its origins in Athens) to the Church.
I chose this poem not only because I am a student, but also because it speaks of the virtue of honesty, which is a large issue for any who studies—to set aside one’s bias for the sake of truth. This is especially a crucial issue for the Christian academic, as we must avoid the compartmentalization of truth into separate cubicles of “our faith” and “general truth.”
This poem’s major theme is the student’s constant duty to be honest—with himself and with mystery. This faithfulness to mystery could mean many things. It may refer to the learner’s responsibility to seek knowledge of the unknown. On the other hand, it may refer to the necessity of humility—the student’s duty to recognize the limitations of his human capacity; that there will always be more to know; that we can never stop learning. The reader may also interpret ‘Mystery’ to refer to God, but to me that seems a desperate attempt for the poem to be spiritual, forsaking the immediate context of ‘Athens.’
Here is my reading: Student, be honest with yourself. Earnestly seek to understand that which you do not, while simultaneously realizing that there is no pinnacle to be attained; be humbled by the notion that much will remain unknown to you. Outside of these you lie to yourself. Do not turn a blind eye to truth that hurts, or that you do not understand. Examine everything to receive what is true, but never let your knowledge be frozen, for what is to be known is infinite and you are not.
Part 2
Lately I have been in discussion with friends and professors, and am also considering writing a book on the place of truth in the Christian’s faith. I have come to a realization over the past year that the world is not as black and white as I thought it was, and as for those “moral relativists,” well—I have become one of them (with good scriptural defense; Paul was one, see discussions on eating meat sacrificed to idols in Romans or 1 Corinthians). After my first year of college there remains not so much that is universal.
And so, for the Christian scholar, it can be frightful to study the origins of one’s faith, examining outside influences and inconsistencies, while still trying to remain faithful to what we think to be our religion. For example, my friend Dusty is taking Religions of the World right now, and is very interested in the development of the doctrine of hell. If it was not a part of Jewish thought until after the exile, when it was integrated by the Jews from a foreign religion, then how do we still believe in its legitimacy? These are the kinds of things that make this faith of ours into a frayed rope, Dusty says, and we have many loose ends. It seems that people either hang on to that frayed rope so tightly that it cuts their hands, or they coat it with rubber so that it’s easier to hold onto, ignoring the frayed ends. We have a problem. If we really believe that our faith is true, then we must believe it is so. We cannot divide truth into boxes of “Christian truth” and “secular truth” if the facts found in both boxes happen to be so.
From the wisdom of many professors who have dealt with this very issue, I have gleaned the one thing that I can be sure of even if the Scriptures were proved to be false—the creeds. I can say, if all else fails, that Christ was born, Christ was crucified, dead, buried; Christ is risen, Christ will come again. These are the main tenets of my faith, and to them I can cling no matter what.
So the academic virtue of honesty, and thus avoidance of denial, has become very real to me over the past few months. I may come across things in my studies that do not fit well with all I have been brought up to believe. However, if I deny these things, or even worse ignore them all together and choose not to deal with them at all, I become a liar to those outside my faith; one who is not willing to be honest, one who commits perjury.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Emily Dickinson, 193
Today in World Literature class were reading Emily Dickinson, and this is one of the poems we read. I really appreciated it, so I thought I would post it here:
193
I shall know why—when Time is over—
And I have ceased to wonder why—
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky—
He will tell me what "Peter" promised—
And I—for wonder at his woe—
I shall forget the drop of Anguish
That scalds me now—that scalds me now!
193
I shall know why—when Time is over—
And I have ceased to wonder why—
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky—
He will tell me what "Peter" promised—
And I—for wonder at his woe—
I shall forget the drop of Anguish
That scalds me now—that scalds me now!
Like Children
Today I did some catching up with my good friend Bob Stewart from Kalamazoo, and after our conversation I read his blog. I came across this journal entry, and I liked it so much that I asked him if I could post it here. With his permission, here it is:
So, today I was riding the bus home from school, and I saw this little kid he was just kind of dancing around while his dad was taking out the garbage. Looking at the kid I thought wouldn’t be neat if we were all like children. Just free to dance around as we pleased, and then I looked and the kid had picked up a rock and thrown it at a moving car, and i thought to myself, wow maybe we are like children after all.
So, today I was riding the bus home from school, and I saw this little kid he was just kind of dancing around while his dad was taking out the garbage. Looking at the kid I thought wouldn’t be neat if we were all like children. Just free to dance around as we pleased, and then I looked and the kid had picked up a rock and thrown it at a moving car, and i thought to myself, wow maybe we are like children after all.
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