Friday, April 06, 2007
The Simple Life
(5)
There is much myth in the Judeo-Christian story. Saint Veronica is one such example. Back in the late '40s and early '50s I attended the 'Stations of the Cross' in the Charleston Cathedral. One of those (14?) 'stations' was titled, 'Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.' I don't recall taking part as an altar boy. I remember taking part several times as a 'penitant.' It was a boring experience after the first run. What a drag. Very depressing.
And I am already feeling guilty about asking Sister Julie about Veronica. This guilt (faint thump) is endemic and I attribute it to my Catholic upbringing: to destroy pleasant ideas in order to make way for the unpleasant truth is a necessary process, but distasteful. Must we love the truth more than we love pleasant ideas? In certain cases we can tolerate pleasant ideas in lieu of the truth, but where does our human responsibility end? Where, exactly, do we become culpable liars?
This is a perennial question. It is also a social question. In fact, the interplay (between 'social' and 'religious') is a fascinating subject for Sociologists. Life is complex, not simple.
There is much myth in the Judeo-Christian story. Saint Veronica is one such example. Back in the late '40s and early '50s I attended the 'Stations of the Cross' in the Charleston Cathedral. One of those (14?) 'stations' was titled, 'Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.' I don't recall taking part as an altar boy. I remember taking part several times as a 'penitant.' It was a boring experience after the first run. What a drag. Very depressing.
And I am already feeling guilty about asking Sister Julie about Veronica. This guilt (faint thump) is endemic and I attribute it to my Catholic upbringing: to destroy pleasant ideas in order to make way for the unpleasant truth is a necessary process, but distasteful. Must we love the truth more than we love pleasant ideas? In certain cases we can tolerate pleasant ideas in lieu of the truth, but where does our human responsibility end? Where, exactly, do we become culpable liars?
This is a perennial question. It is also a social question. In fact, the interplay (between 'social' and 'religious') is a fascinating subject for Sociologists. Life is complex, not simple.
