Having just lost a dear friend, I find this piece soothing, just for today. Thank you Rebekah for the precious gift and Dougald for sharing it. Reading it, I’m reminded that in Muhammad Asad’s ‘The Message of The Qur'an’, Islam is translated as “Surrender”
This is a remarkable piece, one I'm grateful to have found (thanks to Rhyd Wildermuth) and that resonates with much of my own thinking. Your phrase "engaged surrender" is one I shall carry with me. I only have one tiny quibble, which is that I'm fairly sure God uses a compost toilet. Though Jung did have a vision of Him shitting on Basel cathedral.
One of my first biology projects at University [circa 1981] was to investigate given theories on the evolution of eukaryotic cells. Obviously, the source that was pouring out ideas was Lynn Margulis [who become somewhat of a hero of mine, at the time]. One of her other proposals was that Achaebacteria [now "Archaea"] were a separate kingdom of organisms [cf bacteria and eukayotes]. Many more turned up in the years that followed [their habitats tended to be extremely hazardous] with some astounding things like spores that could hang about in molten lava and spring up on the other side of the world.
I very much like your view of Heaven as the abode of saints who have infused their love into world around them: remembered - just as an animal will remember you, if you show them kindness. This democratic version is further bolstered by the observation that some of the kindest, most cheerful people you may ever meet are often carrying great pain and sadness, inside. It helps me to come off my high horse about Saint Augustus - one of whose mighty tomes had come into my possession, somehow. Getting side-tracked in the preface, I was being enticed into Augustus's learned treatment of the difference between a saint's suffering and that of a sinner. I slammed it shut and would hear no more: we live in an age where bad behaviour has a rational explanation [even if the courts continue to exact society's revenge]. This "learned" examination was clearly a load of patriarchal propaganda. However, I appreciate, now, that having the grace to hold onto whatever love can be gathered from a harsh embodiment is kinda the whole point and is another thing we can be grateful for from others. When such things are not - or even never - forthcoming [and, instead, there seems to be a steady flow of hate, prejudice and violence], we are not obliged to accept or put up with it; but we would do well to remember that ANY ONE OF US could be made into a torturer by a draconian regime - just as poverty and loss of identity can seem to normalise the most brutal cruelty carried out in the name of your gang.
Oh this is so beautiful, very glad you reposted. Helpful, thank you (it’s also amazing)
Having just lost a dear friend, I find this piece soothing, just for today. Thank you Rebekah for the precious gift and Dougald for sharing it. Reading it, I’m reminded that in Muhammad Asad’s ‘The Message of The Qur'an’, Islam is translated as “Surrender”
This is a remarkable piece, one I'm grateful to have found (thanks to Rhyd Wildermuth) and that resonates with much of my own thinking. Your phrase "engaged surrender" is one I shall carry with me. I only have one tiny quibble, which is that I'm fairly sure God uses a compost toilet. Though Jung did have a vision of Him shitting on Basel cathedral.
One of my first biology projects at University [circa 1981] was to investigate given theories on the evolution of eukaryotic cells. Obviously, the source that was pouring out ideas was Lynn Margulis [who become somewhat of a hero of mine, at the time]. One of her other proposals was that Achaebacteria [now "Archaea"] were a separate kingdom of organisms [cf bacteria and eukayotes]. Many more turned up in the years that followed [their habitats tended to be extremely hazardous] with some astounding things like spores that could hang about in molten lava and spring up on the other side of the world.
I very much like your view of Heaven as the abode of saints who have infused their love into world around them: remembered - just as an animal will remember you, if you show them kindness. This democratic version is further bolstered by the observation that some of the kindest, most cheerful people you may ever meet are often carrying great pain and sadness, inside. It helps me to come off my high horse about Saint Augustus - one of whose mighty tomes had come into my possession, somehow. Getting side-tracked in the preface, I was being enticed into Augustus's learned treatment of the difference between a saint's suffering and that of a sinner. I slammed it shut and would hear no more: we live in an age where bad behaviour has a rational explanation [even if the courts continue to exact society's revenge]. This "learned" examination was clearly a load of patriarchal propaganda. However, I appreciate, now, that having the grace to hold onto whatever love can be gathered from a harsh embodiment is kinda the whole point and is another thing we can be grateful for from others. When such things are not - or even never - forthcoming [and, instead, there seems to be a steady flow of hate, prejudice and violence], we are not obliged to accept or put up with it; but we would do well to remember that ANY ONE OF US could be made into a torturer by a draconian regime - just as poverty and loss of identity can seem to normalise the most brutal cruelty carried out in the name of your gang.