Life Is Good
Life Is Good though not always profound. Wonderful soups at HNEC last night. We watched a bit of Matthew’s gospel on screen, Jesus taken away for trial, next Wednesday the crucifixion and resurrection, Well done, very well done indeed, though as a Middle East man Jesus likely was dark, black hair and beard, dark brown eyes. Nevertheless excellent.
Life Is Good, good sleep from ten to three, up, good sleep from three to four, up and reading Earth Abides. Some reviewer called it a study in anthropology and that’s not far off. George R.Stewart is incisive about human nature.
Yesterday I was wrong: Stewart does very much intend the biblical and religious themes that occur throughout and not subtly.
In the story’s second section the little Tribe of survivors from the Great Disaster start holding church services every “Sunday.” But their religious backgrounds from the Old Time vary greatly. The services go along satisfactorily to most in the Tribe for a while --
“As it was, however, the church services were cultivating disunion rather than unity of feeling, and sham more than true religion.
“One day, on the spur of the moment, Ish put an end to them. He did it ... with the idea that they were not really giving up the services but merely extending the period of silent prayer indefinitely -- ‘letting each one of us carry on in his heart as he wishes.’”
Anthropology of religion among humans might hint similarity of the Tribe of Ish to the People of God.
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Nevertheless
Life Is Good
and I am thankful.
TW+
+Time