Looking back is always interesting, especially when one has left behind an extensive paper trail. And, as a writer of some repute—whether good or horrid is entirely your decision—I have left quite a paper trail (some may prefer to call it toilet paper.) Gathering thoughts from the past, yesterday I came across an essay from two years ago and found a brief portion that gave new meaning to this time and place.
Grew up hearing “Good enough is never good enough” which, I suppose, buys much the same advice as Yoda’s “No! Try not! Do or do not. There is no try.” Of course, the one I heard most often, because I most often needed to be reminded of it, was “Anything worth doing, is worth doing right,” (Hunter S. Thompson) though most often appended with “the first time.”
Has anyone noticed? Where are the virtues? Like Diogenes in search of an honest man, try searching for a virtuous one these days. I daresay the virtuous are a rare breed; indeed, I would even go so far as to declare virtue a lost habit much as imagination, creativity, honest effort, and hard work. We have become dull knives, so dull we can no longer slice bread or for the matter, half-melted butter. Yet, we do not mind the dullness, no, not at all, for a sharp knife might slice through our atrophy, which would be disastrous, to say the least.
In this issue:
No Matter How You Parse It: Heresy is error, error is heretical, a heretic is heretical More »
Arose this morning thinking about Daniel. I kept thinking of the story told to children in Sunday school and Bible study. You know, the one of Daniel in the lions’ den. In case you were absent or absent minded when the tale was recounted, allow me to retell an abridged version.
A recent post on Patheos Catholic caught my eye and recalled how so many harbor a misguided notion of “conscience” as merely an emotional guide to personal action and reaction. Though the writer was opining from her “Catholic” perspective and my response necessarily focused on her professed opinion, the issue is much broader than Catholicism or Mere Christianity or, for the matter, any religion or no religion at all. Much of my response came from a March 9, 2018 essay. Some things never change apparently.
Look it up if you doubt me. Seriously, look it up even if you believe me for unlike so many these days, I will readily admit to making mistakes, though unintentional, often enough to keep me humble and honest. No one is perfect and yet Jesus said we must be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. That is a tall order, indeed, though one we must strive to achieve if we hope to see him face to face. So, fact check away, I sincerely hope you do.
Last evening as I was reviewing my upcoming book Collected Essays: Colloqui Volume II – 2017-2018 I read an essay I wrote almost three years ago. I wish I could say I had been mistaken then but unfortunately, I cannot. The truth is things have deteriorated to the point where what I wrote then reads more an elegiac than eulogy; the former a lament for We the People rather than a final tribute to the people now so divided.
Have you noticed the “white privilege” of the iconoclastic mobs? It is all the rage. Behind all the masks are, for the most, white faced ideologues hurling sticks and stones while spitting f-bombs at anyone who dares to stand in their way of making Hell on earth their reality.
