Wow, a casual walk around the Prado! I know you appreciate the magic (and splendor) of these experiences, Rod. The rest of us hold them as "dreams" of "one day". Another great essay, thanks.
Rod, if you haven't read it, I think you would like the theater critic Richard Gilman's memoir of his wholly unsought conversion to Catholicism, Faith, Sex, Mystery. It's a strange book and I think you'd recognize a great deal of his experience.
Ah! I just went to Amazon to buy it, but it is not available in Kindle format. I will have to order it and have it sent to my US address, to pick up when I am next in Louisiana. Thank you!
I don't understand why you'd want to waste Rod's time on a book like that. It details Gilman's "deconverting" from Catholicism and apparently becoming an early "none." I can respect someone who moves from Catholicism to Orthodoxy, or even some branch of Protestantism, but I have scorn who for anyone who deserts Christ completely, as does Scripture (2Pet. 2:22). Faith is a struggle for all of us, so why should we want to hear from someone who just threw in the towel? But by all accounts (see e.g. his daughter's biography), he was a pretty awful human being, so I guess he preferred to cling to his sins than die to self. Oh, well, maybe at least the parts detailing his fetish for S/M are titillating.
Nope, but I read I up on the man, and I have no interest in what such a person has to say. Let him peddle his rationalizations for leaving the faith elsewhere. I want to read books by Christians who have had to overcome doubt, powerful temptations, and depressive tendencies to persevere in the faith, as so many of us have. And since Rod has written openly about his struggle with such issues, I can't think of a more counterproductive book to recommend.
As I suspected. If you had read Gilman’s book, you’d know it peddles no rationalizations for anything, since its subject matter is mystical experiences beyond Gilman’s control. But like you, Rod is a grownup, and hence responsible for his own reading choices.
I'll have to defer to you on that, although every review I read said he explained his "deconversion" in some depth, which necessarily entails some degree of justification. But if you're implying his "uncontrolled " mystical experiences were demonic in origin, as they preceeded or followed his rejection of Christ, then I suppose the book can profitably be read as a cautionary tale, but only by a mature Christian, as Rod is.
It’s impossible to make judgements about something you haven’t read and likely will not, and it’s hard to argue for the demonic origin of an infused knowledge of the Ave Maria prayer. But surely you regocnize it’s a futile exercise to argue about a book you haven’t read and don’t plan to. If Rod wishes to read the book, he will. If he doesn’t, he won’t. Your protective impulses towards him are goodhearted, I’m sure, but your challenges to me are not rooted in any kind of logic. Peace.
Now I'm going to have to order the Nigel McGilchrist and the Richard Gilman books to be delivered to me when I go to Alabama in a couple of weeks for the Living In Wonder launch. I'll have them mailed to a friend there. See, y'all complain that I cost you all money by recommending books that you should read -- well, you're doing it to me now! ;)
Done -- the Gilman and the McGilchrist will be waiting for me in Alabama. For all the unhappiness and chaos of this world, I am grateful that we live in a time and place where an avid reader can lay his hands on relatively obscure books so easily.
I was in the Prado in April and was also struck by the Drowning Dog painting. You beautifully capture the emotion and significance of that piece, both in your own life and in all of our lives as we struggle. Thank you.
Thank you as well for your writing. My first introduction to you was Crunchy Cons, and after that I would occasionally read your pieces in the American Conservative. But it wasn't until I started subscribing to your Substack that I became deeply impressed by your intellect and work. I am often moved, and often enlightened, by what you write (I appreciate the comments section too--you attract thoughtful readers and thinkers). During the past few months I have read your Dante book, Live Not By Lies, and the Benedict Option, and I'm eagerly awaiting your new book.
I just want to send you my sincere gratitude for helping bear a torch of faith and love and wisdom in these troubling times. There's a line I read somewhere--can't remember the source--that was something like, "He has not returned from hell empty-handed." You haven't either.
I believe it was the French culture critic Andre Malraux who said of the Soviet-spy-turned-Christian Whittaker Chambers that he had not returned from hell empty handed. The introduction to Chambers’ autobiographical WITNESS (titled “Letter to my children”) is one of the most moving and spiritually deep reflections on the meaning of Russian communism and its war against the God of Christianity and other transcendental religions. Chambers would eventually go on to become a practicing Christian. The introduction to WITNESS is a classic of 20th century spirituality and should be read alongside Solzhenitsyn’s works. Russ Nieli
No book has had a greater influence on my thinking than WITNESS. You're so right, Russell, about the introduction. His description of how he first perceived the miraculous while contemplating the perfection of his baby daughter's ear still stuns.
I agree with what you said about suffering. I’ve said, or tried to say, depression itself will not always have to be there. But really you know that. Thank you again for all you have written, for the meanings you tell us of. All the best!
The drowning dog reminds me of those Chinese and Japanese ink paintings that are visual haikus, conveying so much with just a few brush-strokes. Of the Japanese haiku masters, Basho (1644-1694), is justly the most famous, as opposed to those haikus many of us probably wrote in elementary school.
Interestingly, as with the Orthodox understanding of icons, the Japanese expression "e o kaku," literally means "to write a picture," rather than to paint or draw.
Thanks, Rod, for a wonderful essay. I am reminded of the time when I walked to Pier 45 in NYC (highly recommend it) with my daughter, oh, I want to say 10 years ago, and we saw in the Hudson River a Pigeon that was swimming with it's head just barely out of water. My first impulse was to jump in and save the pidgeon! It was agony watching that scene for me and my daughter. If I'd attempted that, I would have drown myself. It grieved me deeply. Was it a sign? Yes, it was a sign. At the time, I had a sibling that was drinking herself, seemingly to death. I had visited her (and it was an AWFUL visit, I literally got sick toward the end of, so profound was the rejection (been here, done that, right?) Now she will not speak to me (or most any of our other siblings--she generally won't speak to any of us). But here's the weird thing, Rod: I think she may have gotten sober, years later. I suspect this because another sibling visited her recently briefly and said she was in excellent health and had taken up kayaking and looked like an athlete. (She was always incredibly strong and athlethic--a blessing from Our Lord.)
There are more details to this story (some woo during the visit that comforted me), but I am writing this to give you hope that (1) on the other side of Eternity, you made a difference by going to Louisiana, and (2) aside--this is really an aside--you are going to have that dog back in Heaven. I used to think we don't get the pets back in Heaven, but now I think otherwise. I have 2 cats that are (sigh), the "cat's meow." They are rescues, born on my deck--I couldn't let them freeze in NE PA with winter closing in, now could I?
A song about trying to help a sibling. Half the lyrics are obscure and indecipherable, though I've tried to look them up This is a really good song to listen to in flight, gazing down on earth's beautiful surface. Aside: and Katell Keneig is a dead ringer for one of my lovely neices.
Life DOES has meaning. Suffering is inevitable and is redemptive if offered up. My favorite cause is probably: help the troops, the troops of the world are suffering. Help our vets in the US, help our active duty. (I am a former Navy brat, and watched my father, an ace Navy test pilot (rest in peace), work very hard--he set a good example, and all his children turned out to be very hard working. My mother (rest in peace) was also a "trooper" in the literary sense. Did not have a perfect home, but had good parents who sacrificed for their brood.)
Can't wait to read your new book! It will be a great success, and you (and the other authors like Ross and Paul) are going to help usher in a new Great Awakening!
In II Samuel ch. 12 we have the account of King David being greatly angered when Nathan told him the story of the rich man who stole his poor neighbor’s pet lamb to make a feast for company, which shows us that this habit of taking in animals to be loved pets and family members is very ancient. The question of pets in heaven always makes me think of Romans ch. 8 where Paul tells us the whole creation, and the creature itself, groans waiting for the appearance of the sons of God and the redemption of our bodies. Can it be the creature is waiting in vain? Impossible! Rod will see and embrace his Roscoe again.
In Eden, Adam named all the animals, so it is implied that they did not fear him. In Heaven, and in the reconstituted world, animals will not fear humanity, either. In our Fallen World, they do, and this is a good thing, as it helps them survive. However, some animals seem to have remembered this ancient companionship, and have joined our lives. And other animals seem to somehow distantly recall this as well, though while the world retains its current settings, their wild nature will remain (ie the tragic stories of people who try to turn untamed animals into "pets".)
God mean certain ones to be companions to us, I am certain of this. And humanity is charged with stewardship of this world, which includes the animals. Those we welcome into our homes are just as much familly members, with the level of responsiblity accompanying. But we get so much more. I know without my cats, the trevails I have endured over the last several years would have been far more difficult.
I always thought that God just " programmed" dogs in a different way to be our companions. This, even though I've always taught my kids that when Eve and the serpent had a conversation, it wasn't out of the ordinary for people and animals to speak to one another. But the idea that dogs just retained their original rapport with humans from Creation time is really fascinating.
We had a wonderful orange male tabby cat, Gingevere who was my companion and "nurse" while I went through breast cancer some years ago. He was not only a loyal and equable companion; he always knew when I needed someone at my side. Sometimes humans are not the friends we need (though I was and am blessed with those).
It would be wonderful to have Gingevere again, along with many other cats and dogs we've shared our lives with.
My current cats are, by order of age and seniority, Cloud (subdued torty), Bruce (tuxie) and Daisy , bicoloured longhair tabby. Might add a couple more aftet I finish prepping the cat room.
We also have a ginger boy! His name is Buster, originally named after a baseball player but he ended up busting up enough things in our house that it was an apt name. We joke that he was our first child, since we got him not long after we were married, and he was followed by 2 red-headed boys (of the human variety). So he fits right in :) I love the orange tabbies - they seem to have a depth of soul and personality. Buster is about 14 now. I hate that he's getting up there in age and don't want to think about what comes next, but he has been a true gift of grace and a companion for us. The furniture damage is worth it...most days!
Dogs and humans co-evolved. The precise evolutionary path is still being puzzled out, but dogs have a number of adaptations that make them good at emotionally manipulating humans and getting us to share resources with them. There's no reason to believe it isn't a purely naturalistic phenomenon.
Gen 9:2 - The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. Things were different after the Flood.
Nowadays most people don't even think of saying grace before they eat, much less the conditions of the matter harvested for their meal. I wonder of there's not some form of depository of suffering for the plants and animals. I pray over my victuals about the amount due.
We have to eat. They eat each other. That fear is for their survival. And given that not every human acknowledges compassion towards non-human living things, or really, even their fellow humans, that is God's mercy upon them, to help them survive the current fallen state of the world and humanity, until such time He corrects things. Things must play out their course.
Granted, but I think it would do most of us good to cut down on meat, not only for health reasons, but also a more sustainable stewardship of resources, not to mention the animal cruelty aspect of it. (Don't get me started on factory farming!)
I disagree. For several reasons. I agree on factory farming, but we are omivores and it is about balance. IMO, it is better to cut sugar to a minimum and carbs to a lower level. I'm absolutely against veganism. But that's up to everyone to figure out what works for themselves.
Nowadays, if factory farming were abolished, meat would just be an occasional luxury for most people. I actually think that's how it should be, but I can't imagine it being a popular policy.
I've briefly been vegan at times, but it made me feel unwell. I also just don't like the way it inconveniences other people (even just not eating meat does that to a lesser extent). I struggle with seeing actions that inconvenience others as virtuous. That's leaving aside all the cultural-social stuff that veganism is tied up with, which I despise.
I think perhaps eating meat and animal products is a constant reminder that we live in a fallen world, and on one level there's nothing we can do about it (animals will still eat each other, even if we were to stop eating them). That doesn't mean we can't reduce our consumption, and behave more humanely, though.
We could reduce the level of cruelty without abolishing it totally. Mandate a bit more space and fresh air. I personally try for cruelty-free meat, which is a bit more expensive, but not ruinously so.
We could also modernize regulations to make it easier to kill, slaughter and sell wild game. Wild boar quite overpopulate much of the American South, as do deer.
Tee, there is a wonderful part of Romans 8 that discuses how the creation groans for its release from the affects of (original) sin. (Romans 8:19-22 reflected in Isaiah 11 promises).
So wonderful to see that even in small things--such as the connections between Rod's wonderful essay today, my own current Bible study in Isaiah, and my husband's recent study of Romans 8. Nothing by coincidence :)
Fear of humans appears to be learned in animals. In places like Africa where humans have lived for a very long time wildlife avoids humans as much as possible. But in historical times in places where humans arrived but were previously unknown the wildlife had no fear of us-- and often suffered accordingly. Dodo birds are extinct (as are many other creatures in other places) because of this reality.
When in Kenya some years ago, we noticed that the lions did not fear most men. However, we observed a lion startle and run away from a Maasai man. (Typically quite tall and slim, but I'm not sure whether this was what the lion recognized or not).
The Maasai are famously zealous in protecting their cattle from depredations from lions. A lion that breaks into Maasai cattle pens and eats them is sought out and literally beaten to death. How that knowledge is transmitted between the lions? A mystery
Off topic, but I've been thinking about Longenecker's post the other day about the Sword of St. Michael. I was thinking that the new, eighth point, St. Galgano's hermitage in Tuscany, makes seven hills dedicated to St. Michael (Mt. Carmel is not). People have been linking the Sword to the Seven Mountains of St. Michael in the Book of Enoch, but it is only now that the Sword actually has seven hills.
OK, well I was turning over in my mind about the possibility of the line being purely by chance, and wondering how many hills dedicated to St. Michael there are. The old criticism of ley-lines by Williamson and Bellamy in 1983 was that no clear definition was given to points that could be linked, so the number was almost infinite (old churches, stone circles, strange stones with folk stories, etc.), but that does not apply to hills dedicated to St. Michael.
I was trying to think of all the hills in Britain dedicated to St. Michael, by memory and by a quick look on the Internet, and came across these:
1. St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall (on the Sword)
2. Roche Rock, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall: On the top there is a ruined chapel dedicated to St. Michael.
3. Brent Tor, Dartmoor, Devon: On the summit there is the church of St. Michael de Rupe, dating from the 14th century, which is still in occasional use (e.g. for weddings).
4. Burrow Mump, Athelney, Somerset: On the summit there is a ruined mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael.
5. Glastonbury Tor, Somerset: On the summit there is the tower of a mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael, and churches with this dedication have been on the site at least since the 11th century.
6. Ysgyryd Fawr, Monmouthshire, Wales: On the summit there is a ruined mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael.
7. How Hill, near Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire: On the summit there is an ornamental 18th-century tower that replaced the ruined Chapel of St. Michael de Monte, which dated from about 1200.
Notice that number -- seven again.
I did a more careful search online, and couldn't find any others. I've now posted this on Facebook for a bit of crowdsourcing, to see if anyone knows any others.
Quote: "See, this is what I mean by enchantment: not deliverance from our suffering, but the assurance that we do not suffer alone, and our suffering is not in vain."
I don't want to minimize the suffering that so many go through. But God does respond to incredible faith at times. I wrote a story for my daughter and in it she goes through much suffering. At the end of the story she is tied to a stake about to be burned alive. The flames are lit and death is imminent. And then her friend a regular sized mouse shows up. He has shown more courage and faith than anyone else. Here's what happens next:
----------
“Are you ready Princess?” Doc said as if it was the most perfectly normal thing in the world to do what he was doing. “Close your eyes and hold on tight!”
Hold on to what, I thought? I'm tied to a burning stake!
“Now God!” was the last thing I heard Doc say.
I felt a huge wind blow down from right on top of me and felt a great heat. I felt like I was in the middle of a giant tornado that had descended from heaven right on top of my head.
I heard the screams of many Evil Ones and felt Doc holding onto my hair that felt like it would be pulled out.
The wind came and went in just seconds and when I opened my eyes, the scene before me was entirely different from what I had last seen. There was no longer burning wood around me or Evil Ones for that matter. They had been blown back over a hundred feet and looked extremely terrified.
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The point here is that when we have faith, God can show up in ways that change everything. Yes, He doesn't always. But to me, we have so little faith, that we don't expect to walk on water - even when He bids us to come. All we see is that we are drowning.
I have noticed those who accuse God of doing things differently than they would are all without omniscience. Comfort the afflicted but don’t pretend that you know the circumstance is everything you think it is. I believe that is called hubris.
Rod, glad you found time for Prado so you could share your thoughts with us. You have a good eye for art, its analysis and more generally know how "to see", one of the topics of your new book I'm presently enjoying.
As a 20-something backpacker, I didn't have the life experience to draw much meaning from my Prado visit. Also, total sensory overload. More than I could take in, let alone contemplate.
What struck me most about many of these paintings was their sheer size. Las Meninas by Velazquez is something like 10 x 9 feet, quite different in scale than even the biggest coffee table book. Back in the 80s I was just out of HS when I visited the Prado and was blown away by Las Meninas -- the royal family, the dwarf, the pet dog. Later I learned that the painting has confounded art historians for generations with its ambiguous take on perspective and subject matter.
Velazquez, ha. Just yesterday, wife and I made a quick visit to the Chicago Art Institute before Beethoven's 6th at the CSO. At intermission, from the 6th floor gallery seats (we ain't rich folks) of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, across the street from the CAI, I looked out the window and read the artist names carved in 1892 running along the top of the building. One jumped out at me "Velazquez". I mentioned to wifey that I couldn't place him. Your comment ensures that I will now look him and his work up.
It looks like there is a being in white flowing clothes hovering over the dog. I didn't see this discussed, but maybe I missed it. It fits in perfectly with the article, so I probably just missed where you discussed it.
I really appreciate all the writings and thoughts on suffering and faith. Since I have started following you a few years ago you have given me the gift of better understanding suffering, its meaning, and how through it we are more connected to Christ not less. It has helped me in my own life and allowed me to help others when they think they are alone. A few you weeks ago you wrote something to the effect, “God doesn’t always seek our Earthly happiness, but our goodness”. That has really stayed with me recently. Thank you.
Wow, a casual walk around the Prado! I know you appreciate the magic (and splendor) of these experiences, Rod. The rest of us hold them as "dreams" of "one day". Another great essay, thanks.
I’m afraid it’s banal to say this but…. Very well written, Rod. Thank you.
Rod, if you haven't read it, I think you would like the theater critic Richard Gilman's memoir of his wholly unsought conversion to Catholicism, Faith, Sex, Mystery. It's a strange book and I think you'd recognize a great deal of his experience.
Ah! I just went to Amazon to buy it, but it is not available in Kindle format. I will have to order it and have it sent to my US address, to pick up when I am next in Louisiana. Thank you!
Yes, it’s an old book that probably no one reads anymore. I think you’ll love it.
I don't understand why you'd want to waste Rod's time on a book like that. It details Gilman's "deconverting" from Catholicism and apparently becoming an early "none." I can respect someone who moves from Catholicism to Orthodoxy, or even some branch of Protestantism, but I have scorn who for anyone who deserts Christ completely, as does Scripture (2Pet. 2:22). Faith is a struggle for all of us, so why should we want to hear from someone who just threw in the towel? But by all accounts (see e.g. his daughter's biography), he was a pretty awful human being, so I guess he preferred to cling to his sins than die to self. Oh, well, maybe at least the parts detailing his fetish for S/M are titillating.
Have you read the book?
Nope, but I read I up on the man, and I have no interest in what such a person has to say. Let him peddle his rationalizations for leaving the faith elsewhere. I want to read books by Christians who have had to overcome doubt, powerful temptations, and depressive tendencies to persevere in the faith, as so many of us have. And since Rod has written openly about his struggle with such issues, I can't think of a more counterproductive book to recommend.
As I suspected. If you had read Gilman’s book, you’d know it peddles no rationalizations for anything, since its subject matter is mystical experiences beyond Gilman’s control. But like you, Rod is a grownup, and hence responsible for his own reading choices.
I'll have to defer to you on that, although every review I read said he explained his "deconversion" in some depth, which necessarily entails some degree of justification. But if you're implying his "uncontrolled " mystical experiences were demonic in origin, as they preceeded or followed his rejection of Christ, then I suppose the book can profitably be read as a cautionary tale, but only by a mature Christian, as Rod is.
It’s impossible to make judgements about something you haven’t read and likely will not, and it’s hard to argue for the demonic origin of an infused knowledge of the Ave Maria prayer. But surely you regocnize it’s a futile exercise to argue about a book you haven’t read and don’t plan to. If Rod wishes to read the book, he will. If he doesn’t, he won’t. Your protective impulses towards him are goodhearted, I’m sure, but your challenges to me are not rooted in any kind of logic. Peace.
Iain McGilchrist just sent me the cover of his brother's book on Pythagoras. I can't embed images here, but take a look: https://www.nigelmcgilchrist.com/pythagoras.php
Now I'm going to have to order the Nigel McGilchrist and the Richard Gilman books to be delivered to me when I go to Alabama in a couple of weeks for the Living In Wonder launch. I'll have them mailed to a friend there. See, y'all complain that I cost you all money by recommending books that you should read -- well, you're doing it to me now! ;)
Done -- the Gilman and the McGilchrist will be waiting for me in Alabama. For all the unhappiness and chaos of this world, I am grateful that we live in a time and place where an avid reader can lay his hands on relatively obscure books so easily.
I wonder if it's a reference to Diogenes the Cynic (which appears to loosely mean "he who is like a dog").
I think it may be more in reference to Pythagoras' belief that man and animals are both ensouled, and we should respect them
And not eat them. But I haven't read the book yet, going to order it now 🙂
I was in the Prado in April and was also struck by the Drowning Dog painting. You beautifully capture the emotion and significance of that piece, both in your own life and in all of our lives as we struggle. Thank you.
Thank you as well for your writing. My first introduction to you was Crunchy Cons, and after that I would occasionally read your pieces in the American Conservative. But it wasn't until I started subscribing to your Substack that I became deeply impressed by your intellect and work. I am often moved, and often enlightened, by what you write (I appreciate the comments section too--you attract thoughtful readers and thinkers). During the past few months I have read your Dante book, Live Not By Lies, and the Benedict Option, and I'm eagerly awaiting your new book.
I just want to send you my sincere gratitude for helping bear a torch of faith and love and wisdom in these troubling times. There's a line I read somewhere--can't remember the source--that was something like, "He has not returned from hell empty-handed." You haven't either.
Thank you, friend. You encourage me.
RD Appreciation Society. Many of us in debt and sharing similar journeys. The comments are also very good, if in danger of taking up too much time.
Sometimes I have to choose between a quick scan of Rod's essay and the comments.
I believe it was the French culture critic Andre Malraux who said of the Soviet-spy-turned-Christian Whittaker Chambers that he had not returned from hell empty handed. The introduction to Chambers’ autobiographical WITNESS (titled “Letter to my children”) is one of the most moving and spiritually deep reflections on the meaning of Russian communism and its war against the God of Christianity and other transcendental religions. Chambers would eventually go on to become a practicing Christian. The introduction to WITNESS is a classic of 20th century spirituality and should be read alongside Solzhenitsyn’s works. Russ Nieli
No book has had a greater influence on my thinking than WITNESS. You're so right, Russell, about the introduction. His description of how he first perceived the miraculous while contemplating the perfection of his baby daughter's ear still stuns.
I agree with what you said about suffering. I’ve said, or tried to say, depression itself will not always have to be there. But really you know that. Thank you again for all you have written, for the meanings you tell us of. All the best!
The drowning dog reminds me of those Chinese and Japanese ink paintings that are visual haikus, conveying so much with just a few brush-strokes. Of the Japanese haiku masters, Basho (1644-1694), is justly the most famous, as opposed to those haikus many of us probably wrote in elementary school.
Interestingly, as with the Orthodox understanding of icons, the Japanese expression "e o kaku," literally means "to write a picture," rather than to paint or draw.
Thanks, Rod, for a wonderful essay. I am reminded of the time when I walked to Pier 45 in NYC (highly recommend it) with my daughter, oh, I want to say 10 years ago, and we saw in the Hudson River a Pigeon that was swimming with it's head just barely out of water. My first impulse was to jump in and save the pidgeon! It was agony watching that scene for me and my daughter. If I'd attempted that, I would have drown myself. It grieved me deeply. Was it a sign? Yes, it was a sign. At the time, I had a sibling that was drinking herself, seemingly to death. I had visited her (and it was an AWFUL visit, I literally got sick toward the end of, so profound was the rejection (been here, done that, right?) Now she will not speak to me (or most any of our other siblings--she generally won't speak to any of us). But here's the weird thing, Rod: I think she may have gotten sober, years later. I suspect this because another sibling visited her recently briefly and said she was in excellent health and had taken up kayaking and looked like an athlete. (She was always incredibly strong and athlethic--a blessing from Our Lord.)
There are more details to this story (some woo during the visit that comforted me), but I am writing this to give you hope that (1) on the other side of Eternity, you made a difference by going to Louisiana, and (2) aside--this is really an aside--you are going to have that dog back in Heaven. I used to think we don't get the pets back in Heaven, but now I think otherwise. I have 2 cats that are (sigh), the "cat's meow." They are rescues, born on my deck--I couldn't let them freeze in NE PA with winter closing in, now could I?
A song about trying to help a sibling. Half the lyrics are obscure and indecipherable, though I've tried to look them up This is a really good song to listen to in flight, gazing down on earth's beautiful surface. Aside: and Katell Keneig is a dead ringer for one of my lovely neices.
Life DOES has meaning. Suffering is inevitable and is redemptive if offered up. My favorite cause is probably: help the troops, the troops of the world are suffering. Help our vets in the US, help our active duty. (I am a former Navy brat, and watched my father, an ace Navy test pilot (rest in peace), work very hard--he set a good example, and all his children turned out to be very hard working. My mother (rest in peace) was also a "trooper" in the literary sense. Did not have a perfect home, but had good parents who sacrificed for their brood.)
Can't wait to read your new book! It will be a great success, and you (and the other authors like Ross and Paul) are going to help usher in a new Great Awakening!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR2yLDxw1Xc
I'll second that about pets in Heaven. Who am I to argue with the likes of C.S. Lewis and Peter Kreeft!
In II Samuel ch. 12 we have the account of King David being greatly angered when Nathan told him the story of the rich man who stole his poor neighbor’s pet lamb to make a feast for company, which shows us that this habit of taking in animals to be loved pets and family members is very ancient. The question of pets in heaven always makes me think of Romans ch. 8 where Paul tells us the whole creation, and the creature itself, groans waiting for the appearance of the sons of God and the redemption of our bodies. Can it be the creature is waiting in vain? Impossible! Rod will see and embrace his Roscoe again.
That's good.
In Eden, Adam named all the animals, so it is implied that they did not fear him. In Heaven, and in the reconstituted world, animals will not fear humanity, either. In our Fallen World, they do, and this is a good thing, as it helps them survive. However, some animals seem to have remembered this ancient companionship, and have joined our lives. And other animals seem to somehow distantly recall this as well, though while the world retains its current settings, their wild nature will remain (ie the tragic stories of people who try to turn untamed animals into "pets".)
God mean certain ones to be companions to us, I am certain of this. And humanity is charged with stewardship of this world, which includes the animals. Those we welcome into our homes are just as much familly members, with the level of responsiblity accompanying. But we get so much more. I know without my cats, the trevails I have endured over the last several years would have been far more difficult.
I always thought that God just " programmed" dogs in a different way to be our companions. This, even though I've always taught my kids that when Eve and the serpent had a conversation, it wasn't out of the ordinary for people and animals to speak to one another. But the idea that dogs just retained their original rapport with humans from Creation time is really fascinating.
Dogs, cats, horses, some other critters. And some others, though retaining their wild nature, seem to distantly remember it.
For funzies, from Good Omens Season One (the only worthwhile season), right after Adam and Eve have been kicked out of Eden...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBOKi5XmR30
We had a wonderful orange male tabby cat, Gingevere who was my companion and "nurse" while I went through breast cancer some years ago. He was not only a loyal and equable companion; he always knew when I needed someone at my side. Sometimes humans are not the friends we need (though I was and am blessed with those).
It would be wonderful to have Gingevere again, along with many other cats and dogs we've shared our lives with.
My current cats are, by order of age and seniority, Cloud (subdued torty), Bruce (tuxie) and Daisy , bicoloured longhair tabby. Might add a couple more aftet I finish prepping the cat room.
Is there such a thing as a “subdued tortie”? Mine shows no interest in being subdued after twelve years.
Just means her colors are a bit faded, as compared to normal tortie fashion. But you are right. she is irrepressible.
We also have a ginger boy! His name is Buster, originally named after a baseball player but he ended up busting up enough things in our house that it was an apt name. We joke that he was our first child, since we got him not long after we were married, and he was followed by 2 red-headed boys (of the human variety). So he fits right in :) I love the orange tabbies - they seem to have a depth of soul and personality. Buster is about 14 now. I hate that he's getting up there in age and don't want to think about what comes next, but he has been a true gift of grace and a companion for us. The furniture damage is worth it...most days!
Dogs and humans co-evolved. The precise evolutionary path is still being puzzled out, but dogs have a number of adaptations that make them good at emotionally manipulating humans and getting us to share resources with them. There's no reason to believe it isn't a purely naturalistic phenomenon.
"the precise evolutionary path is still being puzzled out"
Isn't it always.
Details are being filled in, always, but there is a lot known about human evolution, and for that matter, dog evolution.
Gen 9:2 - The fear and dread of you will fall on every living creature on the earth, every bird of the air, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. Things were different after the Flood.
Nowadays most people don't even think of saying grace before they eat, much less the conditions of the matter harvested for their meal. I wonder of there's not some form of depository of suffering for the plants and animals. I pray over my victuals about the amount due.
9:2's a mystery, I guess. That one is dreadful?
We have to eat. They eat each other. That fear is for their survival. And given that not every human acknowledges compassion towards non-human living things, or really, even their fellow humans, that is God's mercy upon them, to help them survive the current fallen state of the world and humanity, until such time He corrects things. Things must play out their course.
Granted, but I think it would do most of us good to cut down on meat, not only for health reasons, but also a more sustainable stewardship of resources, not to mention the animal cruelty aspect of it. (Don't get me started on factory farming!)
I disagree. For several reasons. I agree on factory farming, but we are omivores and it is about balance. IMO, it is better to cut sugar to a minimum and carbs to a lower level. I'm absolutely against veganism. But that's up to everyone to figure out what works for themselves.
Nowadays, if factory farming were abolished, meat would just be an occasional luxury for most people. I actually think that's how it should be, but I can't imagine it being a popular policy.
I've briefly been vegan at times, but it made me feel unwell. I also just don't like the way it inconveniences other people (even just not eating meat does that to a lesser extent). I struggle with seeing actions that inconvenience others as virtuous. That's leaving aside all the cultural-social stuff that veganism is tied up with, which I despise.
I think perhaps eating meat and animal products is a constant reminder that we live in a fallen world, and on one level there's nothing we can do about it (animals will still eat each other, even if we were to stop eating them). That doesn't mean we can't reduce our consumption, and behave more humanely, though.
We could reduce the level of cruelty without abolishing it totally. Mandate a bit more space and fresh air. I personally try for cruelty-free meat, which is a bit more expensive, but not ruinously so.
We could also modernize regulations to make it easier to kill, slaughter and sell wild game. Wild boar quite overpopulate much of the American South, as do deer.
Tee, there is a wonderful part of Romans 8 that discuses how the creation groans for its release from the affects of (original) sin. (Romans 8:19-22 reflected in Isaiah 11 promises).
So wonderful to see that even in small things--such as the connections between Rod's wonderful essay today, my own current Bible study in Isaiah, and my husband's recent study of Romans 8. Nothing by coincidence :)
Indeed and amen.
Fear of humans appears to be learned in animals. In places like Africa where humans have lived for a very long time wildlife avoids humans as much as possible. But in historical times in places where humans arrived but were previously unknown the wildlife had no fear of us-- and often suffered accordingly. Dodo birds are extinct (as are many other creatures in other places) because of this reality.
Or it may have been a problem with the Dodo, as the other animals in it s world did not share its behavior or its fate.
Jon,
When in Kenya some years ago, we noticed that the lions did not fear most men. However, we observed a lion startle and run away from a Maasai man. (Typically quite tall and slim, but I'm not sure whether this was what the lion recognized or not).
The Maasai are famously zealous in protecting their cattle from depredations from lions. A lion that breaks into Maasai cattle pens and eats them is sought out and literally beaten to death. How that knowledge is transmitted between the lions? A mystery
Wow, I wonder if there is some scientific explanation for that.
Off topic, but I've been thinking about Longenecker's post the other day about the Sword of St. Michael. I was thinking that the new, eighth point, St. Galgano's hermitage in Tuscany, makes seven hills dedicated to St. Michael (Mt. Carmel is not). People have been linking the Sword to the Seven Mountains of St. Michael in the Book of Enoch, but it is only now that the Sword actually has seven hills.
OK, well I was turning over in my mind about the possibility of the line being purely by chance, and wondering how many hills dedicated to St. Michael there are. The old criticism of ley-lines by Williamson and Bellamy in 1983 was that no clear definition was given to points that could be linked, so the number was almost infinite (old churches, stone circles, strange stones with folk stories, etc.), but that does not apply to hills dedicated to St. Michael.
I was trying to think of all the hills in Britain dedicated to St. Michael, by memory and by a quick look on the Internet, and came across these:
1. St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall (on the Sword)
2. Roche Rock, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall: On the top there is a ruined chapel dedicated to St. Michael.
3. Brent Tor, Dartmoor, Devon: On the summit there is the church of St. Michael de Rupe, dating from the 14th century, which is still in occasional use (e.g. for weddings).
4. Burrow Mump, Athelney, Somerset: On the summit there is a ruined mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael.
5. Glastonbury Tor, Somerset: On the summit there is the tower of a mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael, and churches with this dedication have been on the site at least since the 11th century.
6. Ysgyryd Fawr, Monmouthshire, Wales: On the summit there is a ruined mediaeval church dedicated to St. Michael.
7. How Hill, near Fountains Abbey, Yorkshire: On the summit there is an ornamental 18th-century tower that replaced the ruined Chapel of St. Michael de Monte, which dated from about 1200.
Notice that number -- seven again.
I did a more careful search online, and couldn't find any others. I've now posted this on Facebook for a bit of crowdsourcing, to see if anyone knows any others.
That seems pretty WEIRD to me.
Enough with the Tuscany bit! Santuario di San Michele is in Puglia, thank you very much.
Isn’t the St. Galgano place in Tuscany?
It may be. But the apparition of St. Michael happened in l'il ole Puglia.
Rombald, do you include Mont St Michele in your list or is the list exclusively UK sites? Just wondering.
This is just the list for Britain. For the rest of Europe, I don’t know of many other than those on the Sword, but I expect they exist.
Ah, got it. There are close connections between Mont St Michel and St Michaels Mont (what we heard when we visited the latter in May)
This is a very heartening, believe it or not, post--thank you for writing it . It is always good to be
reminded of the meaning of the struggle. Let us all doggy paddle furiously!
Quote: "See, this is what I mean by enchantment: not deliverance from our suffering, but the assurance that we do not suffer alone, and our suffering is not in vain."
I don't want to minimize the suffering that so many go through. But God does respond to incredible faith at times. I wrote a story for my daughter and in it she goes through much suffering. At the end of the story she is tied to a stake about to be burned alive. The flames are lit and death is imminent. And then her friend a regular sized mouse shows up. He has shown more courage and faith than anyone else. Here's what happens next:
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“Are you ready Princess?” Doc said as if it was the most perfectly normal thing in the world to do what he was doing. “Close your eyes and hold on tight!”
Hold on to what, I thought? I'm tied to a burning stake!
“Now God!” was the last thing I heard Doc say.
I felt a huge wind blow down from right on top of me and felt a great heat. I felt like I was in the middle of a giant tornado that had descended from heaven right on top of my head.
I heard the screams of many Evil Ones and felt Doc holding onto my hair that felt like it would be pulled out.
The wind came and went in just seconds and when I opened my eyes, the scene before me was entirely different from what I had last seen. There was no longer burning wood around me or Evil Ones for that matter. They had been blown back over a hundred feet and looked extremely terrified.
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The point here is that when we have faith, God can show up in ways that change everything. Yes, He doesn't always. But to me, we have so little faith, that we don't expect to walk on water - even when He bids us to come. All we see is that we are drowning.
I have noticed those who accuse God of doing things differently than they would are all without omniscience. Comfort the afflicted but don’t pretend that you know the circumstance is everything you think it is. I believe that is called hubris.
Rod, glad you found time for Prado so you could share your thoughts with us. You have a good eye for art, its analysis and more generally know how "to see", one of the topics of your new book I'm presently enjoying.
As a 20-something backpacker, I didn't have the life experience to draw much meaning from my Prado visit. Also, total sensory overload. More than I could take in, let alone contemplate.
What struck me most about many of these paintings was their sheer size. Las Meninas by Velazquez is something like 10 x 9 feet, quite different in scale than even the biggest coffee table book. Back in the 80s I was just out of HS when I visited the Prado and was blown away by Las Meninas -- the royal family, the dwarf, the pet dog. Later I learned that the painting has confounded art historians for generations with its ambiguous take on perspective and subject matter.
Velazquez, ha. Just yesterday, wife and I made a quick visit to the Chicago Art Institute before Beethoven's 6th at the CSO. At intermission, from the 6th floor gallery seats (we ain't rich folks) of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, across the street from the CAI, I looked out the window and read the artist names carved in 1892 running along the top of the building. One jumped out at me "Velazquez". I mentioned to wifey that I couldn't place him. Your comment ensures that I will now look him and his work up.
Heh, now that I've googled his works, of course, I recognize some of them. Didn't know who had painted them.
It looks like there is a being in white flowing clothes hovering over the dog. I didn't see this discussed, but maybe I missed it. It fits in perfectly with the article, so I probably just missed where you discussed it.
I really appreciate all the writings and thoughts on suffering and faith. Since I have started following you a few years ago you have given me the gift of better understanding suffering, its meaning, and how through it we are more connected to Christ not less. It has helped me in my own life and allowed me to help others when they think they are alone. A few you weeks ago you wrote something to the effect, “God doesn’t always seek our Earthly happiness, but our goodness”. That has really stayed with me recently. Thank you.