Archive for December, 2005:
Christmas morning
O bloody sky
this day when God burst forth from the womb
do you dare rise to defeat the night above you?
Do you rage against solemn Venus
Guarding her precious shroud of darkness?
O womb—
O night—
O bloody sky,
arise and overcome—
Light the entrance of God into this world
Warm the earth on this glorious day
Christmas morning
The basic nature of reality
I used to think that the basic nature of reality was pretty solid stuff. It was like a rock and once I steeled myself enough, once my ducks were in a row, and my dot’s were eyed and my crosses were teed, that I would walk on the rock and build other solid things out of the basic, solid stuff of reality.
Now I think reality is quite a bit more liquid than solid. But liquid like cool molasses, not like water.
Anything Radical is Wrong
“All religions have their bible. All religions say that they are right. They all pray and they all want to do good. God likes that. There can only be one God, you know.” I listened to the older gentleman at the gym continue his discourse. It is amazing what an intelligent, original discourse it sounds like. It is amazing how many people say it as though it came to them all by itself. As though they were formulating a profound doctrine at the very moment they were speaking.” I of course am patient and really do listen every time, because I realize that THAT belief is the ONLY other option. God’s only “competitor” if you will. The discourse went on.
“But when any religion gets radical, it’s wrong. As long as it’s not radical, it’s okay.” I felt the whole world nodding it’s approval, even though there were only two of us in the conversation (discounting the presence of any celestial beings, benevolent or malevolent). I wanted to agree with him as well. What idiocy when Pat Robertson wants to “take out” Hugo Chavez, unless of course, he wants to “take him out” to a meal or for a long dialogue where the two might listen and find some common ground in their obstinate ideologies. I agreed that an Israeli killing a Palestine or a Hindu killing a Muslim was wrong. It is part of the dance really. I do agree with those things. But my heart found so much sadness as well in the conversation. Maybe it is because I am only thirty two and only two years ago crossed over the line of “those who can’t be trusted.”
But he was ready to wrap all that dogmatic, obstinate, brute violence into the word “radical.” I couldn’t go the distance. So I did a political two-step. You know, the kind of thing where you say, “Exactly, I totally agree…” and then proceed to argue the exact opposite position. I did tell him he needed to go light on the word “radical.” I thought of the intense love I have for my wife, for my daughter. I thought of Jesus’ radical act of overturning tables (doesn’t love of someone sometimes imply violence toward others who would defame the object of your love?), his radical act of touching lepers (and therefore doing violence on the worldview of the establishment). I thought of women and romance and how much they seem to love genuine romantic acts, which, it would seem, are always radical.
I thought of a world without anything or anyone radical. A milktoast world. A Harrison Bergeron world. Is that where we’re headed? He excused himself to get back to his workout. I was going to put on 10 pounds more and do 10 more reps, but it seemed a little too extreme.
