Satellite image from NASA
This week's poem from Poem of the Week might have been chosen because of the Atlantic hurricanes taking aim at the U.S. Or maybe I just read that into it.
James Thomson (1700-1748)
from SUMMER
"HOW chang'd the Scene! In blazing Height of Noon,
The Sun, oppress'd, is plung'd in thickest Gloom.
Still Horror reigns, a dreary Twilight round,
Of struggling Night and Day malignant mix'd.
For to the hot Equator crouding fast,
Where, highly rarefy'd, the yielding Air
Admits their Stream, incessant Vapours roll,
Amazing Clouds on Clouds continual heap'd;
Or whirl'd tempestuous by the gusty Wind,
Or silent borne along, heavy, and slow,
With the big Stores of streaming Oceans charg'd.
Meantime, amid these upper Seas, condens'd
Around the cold aërial Mountain's Brow,
And by conflicting Winds together dash'd,
The Thunder holds his black tremendous Throne,
From Cloud to Cloud the rending Lightnings rage;
Till, in the furious elemental War
Dissolv'd, the whole precipitated Mass
Unbroken Floods and solid Torrents pours"
Finding new meanings in poetry or images may be part of the intent of the artist. When we make Biblical interpretations of various verses, chapters, or books, I wonder what the author would do. WWTAD?
Posts
I should like to remind the UP that, according to (soon to be defrocked) +Bennison, "the Church wrote the Bible and the Church can change it."
ReplyDeleteWWTAD? Check with Louie Crew and all the empty mitres at 815 for your answer.
from +Robert Duncan:
ReplyDeleteThe contrast between two great international gatherings
this summer, the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the Lambeth Conference of Bishops could not be more striking.
GAFCON met to find a way forward. Lambeth was structured to avoid any decision.
Unity at GAFCON was palpable.
Lambeth's divisions were a sorrow for all.
GAFCON empowered church leaders to lead the church.
Lambeth proposed yet another committee.
GAFCON gave promise of a post-colonial Anglicanism.
Lambeth substituted process for substance.
GAFCON's declaration made 14 mainstream Christian points.
Lambeth's indaba summary has 161 paragraphs.
It would seem that after years of endless and fruitless Canterbury-centered
statements, meetings, commissions, panels, reports, and crises, orthodox
Anglicans are now taking responsibility for their own future.
A whole lotta words from the interpretive, feel each other...out, Lambeth conference translates into little meaning for pewsitters.
ReplyDeleteGAFCON's approach is simpler for us pew people to understand, it requires less interpretation, and has the advantage of keeping us on the path of our forefathers.