I have moved and changed names, I am now Jaimito at Cantina Del Sol, come check the place out.
In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the title character, Huck Finn, escapes from his abusive father with a runaway slave named Jim. Twain’s use of vernacular common to the time of authorship, along with Huck’s social conscience and regards towards Jim make Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a novel of realism. The way in which Jim is portrayed, the interaction of Jim, Huck, Tom, as well as other characters is satirical of an antebellum southern society. The realism present in the story is Twain’s vehicle by which he drives his satire. However, due to the sometimes discreet and complex satire and realistic way in which the treatment of slaves is portrayed, controversy has risen in recent decades around the book’s criticism and supposed support of racism. Julius Lester is one such critic of the work, whose essay “Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” attempts to critique Twain’s text and bring to the forefront unneeded controversies. In an interview conducted by former National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William R. Ferris with Boston teacher Nancy Methelis, the controversy over the teaching of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is treated with the respect and sensitivity it deserves. The judiciary of America delivered a judgment saying a child’s first amendment rights to receive information would be violated if controversial books including and similar to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were banned from curriculum, (Walsh). Twain’s masterpiece has produced a great amount of controversy, especially in recent decades, but the controversy provides an opportunity for accelerated growth in any individual who reads the work. Furthermore, to ban the text would drip more censorial poison into the bloodstream of American humanities, literature, and society.
It is an undeniable truth that racism was present in the South when Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published. The defeat of the south in the Civil War and its reconstruction afterwards did little to change the minds and opinions of those who had previously owned slaves and held racist beliefs. In his story, Mark Twain presents a dynamic that would be familiar to southern white citizens at the time it was published: slavery is legal, present, and accepted by both whites and blacks alike. This is Mark Twain’s realism. Through this realism, Twain begins to satirize the paradigm with comedic episodes between Huck, Jim, and other characters. Twain’s satire rises throughout the story, and by the Phelps episode it is undeniably present. During this episode, the exaggerated and melodramatic list of deeds Tom forces Jim to do as a “captive” become exhaustingly long and painful to read, yet here Twain undeniably criticizes and satirizes slavery and racism. Many critics question this episode and use it as a strong example of the supposed racist themes in the book. Lester responds to the Phelps Episode with “Jim is a plaything, an excuse for ‘the adventure of it,’ to be used as it suits the fancies of the white folk.” Lester’s reaction can be understood, but Twain’s intentions were never to encourage racist thought. In fact, Twain’s intentions for the Phelps episode and the entire novel were the opposite: to satirize racism by portraying slavery in a melodramatic but realistic fashion in order to arouse thought and opinion against such actions that they may be applied to a society in which slavery may have ended but was still permeated with racism. Lester’s reaction to the depiction of Jim in the Phelps episode is perhaps understandable, but Lester is unable to realize that this is the way in which Twain tries to tear down the impossibly high walls of a racist paradigm.
The realism present, particularly the vernacular, is vital to the way in which Twain criticizes racism. Without the vernacular and realism, any reader would be able to dismiss the story as pure fiction without drawing a connection to the setting and characters. The specific speech and diction of the characters and the realistic settings and events force readers who are familiar with such things to draw a connection to the book and relate to the characters and setting. It is good to remember that Mark Twain’s audience was the people of the South who still lived among racist thought and behavior. Racism did not end with the Civil War. The realistic setting and vernacular were essential for Twain to communicate his criticisms of racism, and in these was Twain’s only hope of changing the titan paradigm of racism held by the majority of the South in the decades following the civil war.
Twain’s use of realism is his basis for his satire which, among many other things, criticizes minstrelsy. Minstrelsy is a comedic act originating in the late 19th Century. In it white actors would put on heavy black makeup and entertain the audience with comedic and buffoonish acts. While more than two actors were usually involved, only 2 actors were needed for the show. One character was the straight, level headed man and the other was the crooked and idiotic sidekick that often times would bear the brunt of jokes. With this kind of humor in place in an antebellum society, the obvious choice by that society for the subject of the buffoon was the black slave. Twain’s portrayal of Jim is a satire of minstrelsy, present in many episodes throughout the book, including the Phelps episode and the episode in Chapter XXIV when the duke and the king decide to paint Jim blue. In his essay, Lester does not mention minstrelsy and hardly mentions satire; perhaps he was too busy abhorring the white male to entertain such complex and intellectual thoughts such as Twain’s rich satire.
Lester portrays white men in his essay as single minded, selfish, arrogant, racist, and completely contrary to Twain, this writer, or any other white male with who this writer associates. Now certainly there are racist bigots still present in America, especially the South, but to judge the majority of white men and women by the behavior of a few is a heavy insult against them and a crystal clear view into Lester’s mind and his opinions of white men and women. Lester’s only respectable assessment of Huck Finn, his criticism on the logic of Jim continuing down the Mississippi passed Cairo and further into slave country, is immediately followed by a prejudiced and preconceived notion, “A century of white readers have accepted this as credible, a grim reminder of the abysmal feelings of superiority with which whites are burdened,” (Lester, emphasis added). It is a terrible thought that Lester cannot reciprocate toward the white American male the sensitivity of race to which he has such strong convictions. Further in his essay Lester critiques Jim’s depiction as a black hero – which is incorrect when taken into context with Twain’s satire – and again stereotypes the white male:
“It [Jim] is the picture of the only kind of black that whites have ever truly liked…He is the archetypal ‘good nigger,’ who lacks self-respect, dignity, and a sense of self separate from the one whites want him to have. A century of white readers have accepted this characterization because it permits their own ‘humanity’ to shine with more luster,” (Lester).
Lester’s typecasting of the white male does not end here, but rather in a giant crescendo of pigeonholing at the end of his essay, Lester writes about white males, “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a dismal portrait of the male psyche. Can I really expect white males to recognize that?” (Lester). The number of white males who would take offense to this exceeds imagination. Lester’s great inability to look past the realistic portrayal of racism in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and his prejudiced writing damage his essay “Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” which otherwise contains only one respectable criticism of Twain’s book. Julius Lester’s essay throws a childish huff and immature tantrum that disrupts the march to transcend race which was aroused by young virtuous abolitionists, black and white alike, spurred on by Mark Twain and his young friend Huck Finn, led and encouraged with charisma by the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and is continued this day by this generation with who this writer takes allegiance.
Lester is the antithesis of Nancy Methelis, a Boston educator who thinks highly of Twain’s novel. In an interview conducted by former National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William R. Ferris with Methelis, the controversy over the teaching of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is discussed and critiqued. Responding to Ferris’s question about the importance of teaching the text, Methelis replies:
“It is important on so many levels. It is a book that students relate to because of the youth of the narrator… I have always tried to set books within their historical context. This is particularly helpful with Huckleberrry Finn because of the controversy that swirls around it…” (Ferris)
Throughout the interview Methelis conveys the most important aspect of the book being taught in the classroom: the essential need for discussion. In Methelis’ experience, most often the African American Students are most open about discussing the book and the language and racial issues it presents, (Ferris). Julius Lester would certainly be shocked by this news. The controversies presented by this text need to be discussed, but the job and most important responsibility of the educator is to provide an atmosphere in which students feel safe to delve into the bellows of controversy. Methelis agrees: “I think it is very important for the teacher to provide a climate that is as comfortable as possible…I’m determined to provide that type of atmosphere. Then students can talk,” (Ferris). Nancy Methelis is the quintessential example of an educator who can successfully present Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in the classroom. Her students are better people and better equipped to deal with controversy in the future after discussing Twain’s book.
This controversy has reached such heights, parents of students and other critics of the book have tried to find support in the courts for removing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries. The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that “removing controversial books such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the curriculum because of parental complaints about their content would be a violation of students’ First Amendment rights to receive information,” (Walsh). The ruling came in a case where a concerned parent referenced the frequent use of the word “nigger,” (Walsh). The inclusion of the courts in this matter shows the presence it holds in and around American schools.
Julius Lester ineffectively critiques Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Nancy Methelis provides a great example of the environment the book needs; and the judiciary of America supports her. The courts support of the inclusion stresses the importance of providing the correct environment in which the book can be discussed. Without the proper atmosphere, students run the risk of being emotionally injured. If such an incident occurs, it is the responsibility of the school to confront the issue; the courts agree: “the three-judge panel…also ruled unanimously that districts have a duty under federal law to eliminate any racially hostile environment in schools…” (Walsh). Hopefully in future years, this controversy can be laid to rest, and together in union this country can march forward along the path to transcend race.
WORKS CITED
Lester, Julius. “Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” A Case Study in Critical Controversy, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Ed. Gerald Graff and James Phelan. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2004. 362-370.
Ferris, William R. “Trying to Tame Huck Finn.” Humanities 21 (2000): 4. Academic Search Premier.
Walsh, Mark. “Schools Can’T Ban Books Because of Compalints, Court Says.” Education Week 18 (1998): 5. Academic Search Premier.
An artist possesses great freedom to liberate and to provide for the world; the artist’s only purpose is the expression of emotion. The grandness of his work does not abide by any set of maximums or vocational limits, for to be an artist is to surpass boundaries and emancipate one’s inner passions, and in doing so, shatter the silence of thought and separation from the birthplace of the artist’s inspiration. Among all the Romantic and Realistic literature that the class explored this year, one work moved this writer in a profound way, William Wordsworth’s Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey. Wordsworth’s verse flows freely forth from the poet’s soul with poignant candor. With freedom, the master artist and poet Wordsworth expresses great passion and recollects on a past connection with nature.
Upon arrival to his sacred spot, Wordsworth begins to reunite himself with the surroundings and the thoughts they had once produced. “Once again / Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs, / That on a wild secluded scene impress / Thoughts of more deep seclusion…” Continuing in sentimental statements, he expresses that thoughts and recollections of these “beauteous forms” have remained close to him during his absence from them. “But oft, in lonely rooms, and ‘mid the din / Of towns and cities, I have owed to them, / In hours of weariness, sensations sweet.” Wordsworth found a liberating feeling of tranquility in the company of these thoughts; he was always at peace when they were near to him. He has a near bittersweet reunion with his haven however, for he is not a youth anymore, and those feelings have left him for more mature thoughts. Wordsworth’s company provides him with equal joy; his “dearest friend” and sister receives high praise from her brother, who would not be found in bad countenance even if his new enlightenment of this paradise was not known to him. Wordsworth writes, “Nor perchance, / If I were not thus taught, should I the more / Suffer my genial spirits to decay: For thou art with me here upon the banks / Of this fair river; thou my dearest Friend / My dear, dear Friend…” What love Wordsworth has for his sister! Deep calls unto deep; any person who loves a sister in the same manner that Wordsworth loves his, can rejoice for the selfless love expressed in the beautiful prayer he lifts over his dear sister:
Knowing that Nature never did betray
The heart that loved her; ’tis her privilege,
Through all the years of this our life, to lead
From joy to joy: for she can so inform
The mind that is within us, so impress
With quietness and beauty, and so feed
With lofty thoughts, that neither evil tongues,
Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men,
Nor greetings where no kindness is, nor all
The dreary intercourse of daily life,
Shall e’er prevail against us, or disturb
Our cheerful faith, that all which we behold
Is full of blessings. Therefore let the moon
Shine on thee in thy solitary walk;
And let the misty mountain winds be free
To blow against thee
Wordsworth closes the well-formed narrative by telling his sister that even if he dies, she will remember not only the new way in which he loved nature, but also that he loved it more with her being present with him.
The entirety of Wordsworth’s youthful poem gifts it greatness; however, six lines elevate themselves high above the remainder of the poem and illuminate the whole verse with brilliance:
That time is past,
And all its aching joys are now no more,
And all its dizzy raptures. Not for this
Faint I, nor mourn nor murmur; other gifts
Have followed; for such loss, I would believe,
Abundant recompense…
This bedrock unlocks the poem’s hidden meaning, for in these six lines, Wordsworth reveals that he has found mature understanding from a once youthful experience. He has found the presence of something far more subtle in nature and in the mind of man than just the beauty of the woods and waterfall: “a motion and a spirit that impels / All thinking thoughts… / And rolls through all things.” Wordsworth has found, for the ancient Greek poets, Gaia and Mother Earth, for the Stoics, the great logos and animating power of the universe, and for the Christians, the Word through which all things were created and the General Revelation of God whose call to the hearts of man cannot be denied. This beautiful verse enlightens the reader to Wordsworth’s own search for the Divine, and in doing so, compels the reader to begin the search as well. What a frightening yet rapturous experience this poem provides for an individual! All of Academia, chiefly the Humanities, should welcome with open arms this encouragement of a person to widen their emotional and spiritual self.
The poignant way in which William Wordsworth speaks in his poem Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, shouts to the soul of the reader, indeed this writer, and awakens his passions; all the while expressing to the reader and this writer his selfless love for his sister and intimate connection with the Divine of nature. Any library without this work lays bare and does a great and terrible injustice upon any person studying there. Wordsworth has inspired this writer, especially with his six magnificent lines, to examine and stretch within himself his relationship with both God and sister.
Food From the Birth Place of Humanity
As an adventurous person, especially when it comes to foreign cuisines, and after hearing about Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant in Austin, I could not wait to try some exotic dishes. The restaurant itself is a cozy little building with painted brick walls and Ethiopian decorations covering them. Inside and outside seating make for a great atmosphere. Aster’s is owned by – well – Aster, an Ethiopian Christian who recently moved back to the Austin area. The entire concept of how Ethiopian cuisine is eaten will stretch your boundaries, so it is not for the faint of heart. Ethiopian food is eaten entirely with your hands; in fact, I had to request silverware from our waitress, a native Ethiopian named Heimonot, for more than the spoon which was given to serve my main dish. The staple for every meal is the slightly sweet, tangy, and spongy flatbread. After asking Heimonot how to eat my food, I was given the rundown on Ethiopian dinner etiquette. Meals are eaten by tearing a hunk of the soft and airy flatbread off of the communal loaf, similar to the size of a large pizza, grabbing the vegetarian sides with the hunk of bread while harmoniously using it as a tortilla of sorts, piling on the main dish, folding up the uneven sides into some type of container so your food doesn’t fall all over your shirt, and attacking the concoction in the same way you would a taco. With your bread you chose two vegetarian side dishes served in two small mounds on top of the larger flatbread. Main dishes are usually where the meat is found – although there is an array of vegetarian dishes available – and are served in a separate bowl. For side dishes I chose Keyi Miser, a red iron colored spicy split lentil puree cooked in Berbere (a very thick spicy sauce vaguely similar to BBQ sauce), and Alicha Miser, a darker grey, thick and mild, ginger and lentil curry. In a separate bowl was my main dish, Tibbs, similar to beef tips, served in Kibe, an Ethiopian butter reduction, with sautéed peppers. For an entirely vegetarian meal I highly recommend the Atakelt Beyaynetu, a vegetable medley served in a sauce similar to a thick red vegetable soup. Don’t worry about figuring out how to pronounce the dish names, Heimonot and the wait staff are friendly and willing to walk you through the whole meal process. Everything was fantastic; I thoroughly enjoyed it; and in the words of a member of my party, “I would most definitely go back.” While it is absolutely impossible to eat this cuisine gracefully, sharing Ethiopian food with another person would do wonders in tearing down barriers, so if you are adventurous, Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant is a fantastic idea for a date.
Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant
Location – On the West side of the I-35 Access Road, north of Dean Keaton
Hours – Lunch and Dinner
Dress – Casual
Price – $12 average for dinner, $6 average for lunch, not including drinks
Rating – 9 out of 10
It has been awhile since my friend and I have gone to a church of a different denomination to worship. Today was the Presbyterian Church. The sanctuary was gorgeous, having large panes of multicolored stained glass on each side of the long room. There was a large golden colored cross at the front hanging on the wall. The altar was made of stone and the pulpit and lectern were made of wood. The sanctuary has a 70′s retro feel about it, but it was nice, nonetheless.
The service itself was great, it felt very much like home. Some of the liturgy was very similar to that of my home Lutheran church. The sermon was preached by an older minister, and he must have had a good amount of tenure for his preaching was solid, well spoken, and direct. I felt he was speaking directly to me. We were lucky today to be able to take communion with the congregation; from here until the rest of our tour communion will be hit or miss. Like every Sunday, afterward we went to a corresponding restaurant. We visited an Irish pub, drank Guinness, and ate Bangers and Mash. It was really good. Next week is the methodist church.
This cathedral was rumored to be the most beautiful in all of Austin; however, I found it to be lacking, especially after Mass at St. Mary’s. With that said, I am not going to spend any time on the building.
This service did not feel as high church as the others I had previously attended. There were multiple baptisms, which was beautiful to observe and take part in as a member of the Body of Christ. The choir was excellent, there were a few times where the choir would move from the front of the sanctuary to the back of the sanctuary behind the last pew, where we were sitting. It was very cool to hear the choir so close behind me and yet focus on the service at hand. Communion was not intimidating, as doctrine in Anglican Church holds that any baptized Christian may commune. Communion was also the focus of the service, which I am convicted that it should be. This might be the last service where such pratice is observed, and perhaps one of the last services in which we will receive the Eucharist all together. I am convinced that the Eucharist should be the focus of the service because it is the moment when you receive the Body and Blood of Christ. When all teachings and the very grace of God are most tangible. In intimate kinship with the communion of saints, we worship God and take part in the Lord’s supper together.
In honor of the Anglican church, we ate fish and chips afterwards. Next week in the Presbyterian church, and I hope that we can find some hagus to eat afterwards.
Today I went and visited a Catholic Church. There were fewer similarities than I would have thought between the Orthodox and Catholic liturgy. The cathedral where we worshiped was amazing and beautiful. It was divided into two main parts, the narthex (entrance area) and the sanctuary. Giant gorgeous rose marble pillars stood at the front of the sanctuary. Unlike the Orthodox Church, there were statues as opposed to icons (paintings). The alcove at the front of the cathedral in which the altar and podium stood had a celestial ceiling being painted deep blue with stars to remind us of God’s great creation. A large crucifix was hung at the center below a magnificent stained glass window depicting St. Mary and other saints. On either side of center alcove were smaller ones in which stood statues of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist (I believe this was the case, the saint was holding the baby Jesus, perhaps it was St. Joseph). Both of these statues were beautiful. Along each side of the cathedral were stained glass windows dedicated to many different saints. The pews were a hard wood and stained deep brown. The ceiling was in the fashion of many catholic cathedrals not coming to a point but rather rounded the entire length of the sanctuary. Beautiful wooden beams and arches were spaced equally from front to back to bear weight and hang lighting. The altar itself was made of ivory or marble and was intricately carved. Delicate clothes were draped over the sides of it. The walls of the alcove in which the altar stood possessed a gorgeous pattern of creams interrupted with golden designs. Here are some pictures.
The Divine Liturgy was beautiful, being accompanied by the best organist I have ever heard and an outstanding choir. On multiple occasions the cathedral was filled with the sweet pleasing smell of Frankincense. It was a delight, allowed me to worship joyfully, and was a beautiful image of prayers rising to Heaven. There was a good deal of kneeling during and around the time of the Eucharist*, which was the focus of the service, as it should be. The Catholic Divine Liturgy was far easier to follow than that of the Orthodox Church being conducted completely in English. There were more references made to the saints than the Orthodox church, but it was not overly abundant. It was most definitely not as permeated with references to the saints as the stereotype of Catholic liturgy gives way to. It was very focused on Christ, and all references and prayers** to the saints were always through, because of, by, or in the example of Christ. I really enjoyed the feeling and atmosphere of mass, and I would attend again. It was a beautiful service and most definitely focused on Christ. As far as membership or extended attendance is concerned, there are a few things that would be hard for me to get over. The first is appearance. It is perhaps the less important one, the amount of press, especially bad press, that the Catholic Church has received over the past few years is disturbing. The second stumbling block is doctrinal issues.
There are a few problems I have with Catholic Dogma; one of the main problems I have is the Doctrine of Purgatory. With a small bit of research, I found out that it is based on 2 Machabee, a deutro-canonical book of the Catholic Bible. 2 Machabee tells the story of a group of Jews praying for the dead. As far as I can tell, it is a very long stretch to derive the Doctrine of Purgatory from said text. However, it is very steeped in tradition, to which I believe Protestants do not give enough attention. 2000 years of Christendom should be investigated, especially if one believes in the guidance of the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The other main problem I have with Catholic Dogma is the infallibility of the Pope in regards to morals and teachings. Now I am not as well versed on this doctrine as I would like, especially if I am writing about it. But the thought that a group of people can hold one man above reproach is appalling. Every man is sinful and is equally sinful. The Orthodox church does not believe this, but rather believes in the infallibility of councils which is verified by the wide acceptance within the Body of Christ of the decisions the council has made. I find that view to be very solid and allow the Holy Spirit to work throughout the entire church and body of believers.
I enjoyed the service very much and found it to be incredibly beautiful and worshipful. Afterwards, to stay in the Roman mindset we ate pizza. Much like last week to stay in the Greek mindset we ate Greek food. Up next week is a Presbyterian church.
* Funny story, the service ran out of wine during communion, and it just so happened to run out at our spot in the line. So not only did we not receive wine, nobody behind us received wine. We had a chuckle when we got back to our seats.
** By prayers I mean no more than the words spoken by a person to the unseen saint. There is a difference here between prayers to God and prayers to saints, but they are alike because they are both being directed toward that which cannot be seen. There is not another word in English that would suffice to describe this act.
I visited a Greek Orthodox Church this morning and I enjoyed the experience. The sanctuary was beautiful, being designed in 3 sections similar to Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem from the Old Testament and also the heavenly temple mentioned in Revelation. In the first section (I believe called the Narthex in the orthodox culture) , where we entered, were two icons of Jesus and Saint Mary. Both had small wooden boxes of sand on the wall at the base of the icons to hold the candles lit for prayer. The inside of the sanctuary had a great dome above the seating, the circumference of which encircled almost the entire ceiling. There were close to 150 seats available. Along the walls were windows which allowed in natural sunlight that lit the hall beautifully. There was a second story balcony that stretched along each side of the sanctuary and ended at the beginning of the third section. The balcony rail was made from dark crafted cast iron. The walls were snow white. At the front of the sanctuary was a wall separating the seating area (I believe referred to as the sanctuary) from the altar area (again I believe called the inner sanctuary) with an open arched doorway that lead to the inner sanctuary. The ceiling of the inner sanctuary was an enormous half dome that contained a very large icon of Christ. There were more beautifully painted icons along the separating wall between the sanctuary and inner sanctuary. Here is the photo album from their website.
The service and liturgy were beautiful. The service book was divided up into four columns across two pages. On the far left is the Greek translation, in the second column from the left is the Latin translation, in the third column from the left is the English translation, and in the far right column is a description of the service which I found very interesting. All hymns were chanted amazingly well by the leaders and priests. The robes the priests wore were of gorgeous craftsmanship.
The Eucharist is served differently at the Orthodox church than anywhere else. It is spoon fed (so infants may commune). The imagery present is amazing. The divine liturgy requests partakers to recite the words of the thief on the cross next to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” as they approach the priest. When I was served the Body and Blood of Christ, I was in a position of complete helplessness and humility. It was a vivid and remarkable example of the grace and mercy of God. Throughout the service, the Divine Liturgy makes reference to the Triune God, always illuminating the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As I reflect on all the worship services that I have attended in my life, I can think of perhaps two that have better illustrated and had more focus on Christ. One of them was a funeral. Many protestants have a preconceived notion of the Orthodox Church allowing idol worship in the form of praying to saints; – the theology of which is not as vague and sketchy as some might think, but that is another topic for another day- I can assure you otherwise. There were perhaps five of six references to the saints in a service that was focused heavily on Christ. It was very very beautiful, especially since I am now at an age where I can appreciate the high mass and high church feel of a service.
Being a good Lutheran, I should perhaps include in this entry words from Martin Luther. Luther referred to the Orthodox Church as “the better half of Christendom” and “the most noble of Christians.”* It would be an offense to some people I know for me to admit that I am not tenaciously set on being a Lutheran the rest of my life. However, I am going to investigate the Orthodox church if I make my home in a new city. I have read multiple accounts of Lutherans who have converted to the Orthodox church and have all used the term “coming home” in one form or another. One of these former Lutherans was Jaroslav Pelikan, the great Christian historian and renowned translator of Luther’s Works.
* I know not the origin of this second quote by Martin Luther, but received it from a reliable source.
This is going to be an ongoing theme for me as I will be visiting a different denomination of Christianity every Sunday over the next few months.
It’s been a month since I last updated this. So much for updating over the break… I wonder how good bloggers do it, that is, keep their blogs updated. Perhaps I just need to be more disciplined… Such a dreadful word… discipline…
Reflections on a Wedding
I’m sitting at the reception
The bride and groom are dancing
Philip and Jen are dancing
There is laughter in the room
Jen is beautiful, elegant
So full of joy
Jen is dancing with her father
Philip is watching, smiling
Looking rather dapper in his tuxedo
So full of joy
Philip is dancing with mom
She sings, Godspeed little man
She sings, Sweet dreams little man
They slowly dance with each other
As she sings, I love you
Jen’s father is toasting the couple
He speaks of her beauty,
Of her tears followed by resolve
He prays for a deep, textured marriage
He prays they forever grow
Jen is crying tears of joy
My parents are dancing
Mom and Dad are dancing
Cheek to cheek they sway
Mom is crying, Dad is smiling
They are happy
I’m sitting at the reception
Drinking in the evening
There is laughter in the room
And I sing
All is well, all is well
Angels and men rejoice
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