Reading your comments on the body, something struck me. For a long time I have taken the text "he learned obedience through what he suffered" and turned it over in my hand, trying to understand it. He suffered, of course, but how did he have to learn to obey? Being sinless? Well, his circumcision, for one. An act upon the body perpetrated not by himself, but on him by others. Yet, it was suffering, and also, it was obedience, by his parents, but to his credit. Brings to mind that often we learn to believe through the act of obedience before we fully believe.
It could be fun to compare and contrast circumcision, with the piercing of the ear with the awl to the door frame. Another type of fruitful bodily suffering.
Loved, loved, the essay. "They loved vitality because they had none".
The BAP atavists are saying "why were the former days better than these?" We know how that always turns out. They also don't seem to recognize the Hebrew shoulders their bronze age heroes are standing upon. Makes sense... if one doesn't recognize their Father, they won't really recognize any of their ancestors, either.
Fustel de Coulanges tells a story, I think about the battle of Arginusae, where an Athenian admiral was sentenced to death for not recovering the bodies of drowned sailors after the sea battle. The Athenians were furious and wanted a scapegoat, as they believed interring the dead sailors would protect the city. The admiral foreglimmered Christian ethics by opting to preserve his living sailors, as recovering the bodies in a brewing storm would have put them at mortal risk. I'm reminded of Christ saying "let the dead bury the dead". A teaching driving a stake into the heart of ancestor worship. None of us could really truly honor our mothers and fathers with that idolatrous conception running amuck in ancient society. Christ freed us from that bronze age perversion. And about a thousand other dark perversions.
If you ever get enough head of steam to write another 13k words, please delve into the comedy a bit more! Only a people who could be taught the true truth of what drinking blood means, could have produced Don Quixote.
Hi Susannah, we met a few summers ago at the First Things Colloquium. I’ve been following your Substack and have really enjoyed reading about the adventures of a fellow ex-pat couple! It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones going hither and thither much more than our same-nationalitied married friends.
I’m an American married to a Brit. I was teaching theology in the US but academia isn’t my fav and I do more writing/ speaking / occasional ad hoc teaching now. I’ve been living here in London for 7 years now but we still end up back and forth / apart more than most couples we know! I think if I enjoyed travelling more it might be easier. You seem like a good traveller from your posts! I think when you and I met you were just newly married and unsure about where you would settle (at least “settle” for visa purposes.) Have you chosen the US?
Reading your comments on the body, something struck me. For a long time I have taken the text "he learned obedience through what he suffered" and turned it over in my hand, trying to understand it. He suffered, of course, but how did he have to learn to obey? Being sinless? Well, his circumcision, for one. An act upon the body perpetrated not by himself, but on him by others. Yet, it was suffering, and also, it was obedience, by his parents, but to his credit. Brings to mind that often we learn to believe through the act of obedience before we fully believe.
It could be fun to compare and contrast circumcision, with the piercing of the ear with the awl to the door frame. Another type of fruitful bodily suffering.
Loved, loved, the essay. "They loved vitality because they had none".
The BAP atavists are saying "why were the former days better than these?" We know how that always turns out. They also don't seem to recognize the Hebrew shoulders their bronze age heroes are standing upon. Makes sense... if one doesn't recognize their Father, they won't really recognize any of their ancestors, either.
Fustel de Coulanges tells a story, I think about the battle of Arginusae, where an Athenian admiral was sentenced to death for not recovering the bodies of drowned sailors after the sea battle. The Athenians were furious and wanted a scapegoat, as they believed interring the dead sailors would protect the city. The admiral foreglimmered Christian ethics by opting to preserve his living sailors, as recovering the bodies in a brewing storm would have put them at mortal risk. I'm reminded of Christ saying "let the dead bury the dead". A teaching driving a stake into the heart of ancestor worship. None of us could really truly honor our mothers and fathers with that idolatrous conception running amuck in ancient society. Christ freed us from that bronze age perversion. And about a thousand other dark perversions.
If you ever get enough head of steam to write another 13k words, please delve into the comedy a bit more! Only a people who could be taught the true truth of what drinking blood means, could have produced Don Quixote.
Hi Susannah, we met a few summers ago at the First Things Colloquium. I’ve been following your Substack and have really enjoyed reading about the adventures of a fellow ex-pat couple! It’s nice to know we aren’t the only ones going hither and thither much more than our same-nationalitied married friends.
Hey Kerri! It actually suits us in certain ways - though it is challenging! Remind me of your story?
I’m an American married to a Brit. I was teaching theology in the US but academia isn’t my fav and I do more writing/ speaking / occasional ad hoc teaching now. I’ve been living here in London for 7 years now but we still end up back and forth / apart more than most couples we know! I think if I enjoyed travelling more it might be easier. You seem like a good traveller from your posts! I think when you and I met you were just newly married and unsure about where you would settle (at least “settle” for visa purposes.) Have you chosen the US?