Desert

I think what's going on with me, right now, is a desert experience.

The image I have of what I should be is running up against the realities. I want to love and forgive my enemies (and those on the rea$$erter side have made it clear they have chosen to be my enemies), but I just can't stand the bastards. Honestly. They're awful, and don't seem to be able to tell the truth to save their souls (literally). Do I want them out of the church? Yes. Definitely. I've deferred to the popular opinion that we should try to keep them in, but, in the end, I just feel that that's mushy sentimentalism at best, an eye to public opinion at worst. These people have been a truly destructive force. Not only should we let them go, but, surely if there's is ever any justification for excommunication from TEC, the amount of unrepentant damage they've done and vow to continue to do is sufficient. It leads to anger with my allies, as well. Why are we being so nice to these people? We're not doing any kind of service, and I can't possibly see that encouraging people who do spiritual, emotional and ecclesial violence is by any theological justification what Jesus would want us to do. Call liars, liars. Ridiculous statements and positions deserve ridicule. Maybe I'm not liberal enough, but we should NOT allow them to be drawing us into their victim game.

I've come to value Stoic philosophy (the real thing, not the macho crap that we Americans have coopted the name "stoic" for). I ran across this from Marcus Aurelius:

"Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today ungrateful,
violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All of these things have
come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill... I can neither be
harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong, nor can I be
angry with my kinsman or hate him; for we have come into the world to work
together..."

That's the outlook I want to cultivate, but surely, surely there is a point at which we have to acknowledge that our "kinsman" is not doing the work and needs a rebuke -- a good solid one, in fact!

The rest, my life conditions of finances, possessions, job, relationships, all are added on top of this existential, this desert, condition, but those I know I can't influence, but changing the attitude to all of them, I can. But how? Where do I find a mentor, a guru, a true spiritual director in this true desert of southwest Georgia, where Greg Griffiths would be seen as a mystical theologian?

In these times, I despair of Mankind, and would happily leave the whole mess to go to the Devil.

More Covenantal Idiocy

A "Personal View" slung out in public

There are many links at Thinking Anglicans to this particular bit of heavy-handed duplicity (did you know that you're undemocratic if you don't want rea$$erter$ to dictate your beliefs?)

Feel free to tell everyone, including Sugden, that Sugden is a jelly-brained moron if he thinks we buy this threat of "un pc-ness."

Objections From the Right

I see that, elsewhere, the usual suspects object to having rea$$erter$ referred to as assholes and gay-haters.

Well, then they should stop hating gays and acting like assholes.

I, Too, Am Unrepentant

From MadPriest

Ah speet my unrepentance at ze Sydney Gestapo! Pah!

I Appreciate . . .

. . the thoughts and prayers. I'm not really suicidal, I just don't really care to keep on living. All I have is anger, bitterness, and that's all I'm going to be left with.

The fact is, people do slip through the cracks, even when God is watching. There aren't always happy endings and it is simply not true that everybody is capable of turning their life around. Some of us don't have the resources; no whining, just telling you the truth. There is no good to come out of my life, but, I have no choice but to keep going.

Maybe It's Time

I've never done much in this world, anyway. Just let it go? Like a napkin you've worried to shreds, no longer useful, if it ever was. Here, I mean nothing, an abortion carried to term.

The Fundies Keep Saying These are The End Times

Promises, promises.

Behold

I haven't seen this in a long time. Besides, I'm just too worn out and depressed to produce anything, myself.

I Can't Help Thinking of the "Help" and "Hope" for Orthodoxy in America Coming from Certain Primates

Strange

Baby monitor picks up NASA

Natalie Meilinger's kids have no idea why their monitor shows scenes from space. » Experts scratch their heads


I actually saw this on Yahoo News. And yet my friend James' phone can't keep a call from dropping every 5 minutes.

The Opening of My New Favorite Video Game

Prayers

Please keep my brother, Michael in your prayers.

He's had an operation for hiatal(sic) hernia, his digestive tract, and, now, while still in recovery, has been losing blood and been back in for more work. He's home and in no immediate danger, but please pray for him to get better.

We Got Rain!

Praise God!

Trinity Sunday

It's the only Sunday that is really devoted to Church doctrine rather than scriptural concept or event. Fr. Jim is highly intelligent and well-educated, and expounds theology very well. Yet, in the end, as with most theology, the doctrine of the Trinity leaves me with this thought:

And this is important to me because . . . ?

Cadfael

For those who are fans of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael series, do you ever find yourself wishing they'd undertake making the series into full-length films? I'm not denigrating Derek Jacobi's great work, I hope, but I would like to see a big-budget production that captures the books a bit more fully (I confess disappointment at some of the Cadfael series' writing).

Who would play whom?

Cadfael has been a bit difficult for me. At the start of the series of books, A Morbid Taste For Bones, Cadfael is 57. Both Anthony Hopkins and Derek Jacobi, both my natural choices, are well beyond that, now (and look it, I'm afraid).

Abbot Heribert is another who gives a bit of trouble, though I could imagine Peter O'Toole -- elderly, scholarly, a bit timid.

Immediately coming to mind for Prior Robert is Jeremy Irons -- tall, impressive, good-looking, well-spoken, though Jonathan Pryce would be a close second.

Abbot Radulfus, what can I say? I'm a huge fan of Alan Rickman. He is craggy enough, as well as being vigorous and conveying a great deal with voice and slight facial expression.

For Hugh Beringar, I can easily imagine Joseph Fiennes, but my first choice would have to be Christopher Eccleston.

For Brother Jerome, I thought of Simon Pegg, though he may be a bit young.

Brother Edmund, the infirmarer, Cadfael's close confidant, I could see in Roger Lloyd-Pack or Kevin McNally.

Two character, in a recent re-reading, immediately brought actors to mind, both sort of "yoked" in popular thought, as they are. Young "Brother" Meriet Aspley in The Devil's Novice could be quite ably played by Daniel Radcliffe, and the recurring character of Brother Mark would allow Tom "Draco Malfoy" Felton to show a bit of humanity and compassion.

Your thoughts, additions, favorite actors for favorite characters?

And who to play Cadfael?