"MYSTERION..."

(this Greek word) can mean “revealed” as much as “concealed.”

--“something shown or given albeit in a surprising, obscure way.” –Jill Caratinni

“I have never met an ordinary human being.” CSL

“If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel’s heartbeat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence. As it is the quickest of us walk about well wadded with stupidity.”—George Eliot

But…is it Stupidity? Or more’n likely, Cupidity?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…”

“Poor” must by the nature of the concept be defined in negatives, as a lack or even a vacuum.  (Poverty Sucks?)  It’s like Paul Giacometti  in a soul-free state—light, empty, and bored, in his own script. It’s a series of have-nots, not even have-knots of the soulful or the “soulish”!

Everyone has an idea of what false humility is—but we define it by finger pointing; finger painting makes more sense than this and is lots more fun—yet we are stuck by defining ourselves as righteous, if only because it’s all we know, it’s the only grid we have—and this “default setting” of Cupidity kicks in automatically. And even the mightiest of our efforts only serve to solidify our position as being the only possible correct one.  “O who will deliver me from this body….” As I discussed recently.

In reality, we don’t need to declare ourselves poor; because our poverty is far deeper and wider than we can “think or imagine.”  (Some would even define our worst poverty as primarily a want of imagination—for which we substitute “imaging studies” and other exercises in “the banality of evil.”

This Beatitude is truly a be-attitude—possibly more in an existential than a dynamic sense, at times—something that is fixed but of which we are not really aware—even though others can pick up on it instantly—esp. children.  Personality Order.  Disordered by nature?  (pretty sad compared to the order of the simplest feather of the the drabbest of birds)

Even a declaration of dependence, by its nature of being “my” declaration and hence remaining self-oriented, defeats itself; plus it is meant to be heard and recognized by others—and for what purpose—we can well imagine!!

We try so hard, esp. as Christians who consider ourselves “mature” “adults” but by our efforts have confined ourselves to a zero-sum option when we try so hard to embellish our humble estate and regale God Himself with words,  words, and more words.  I speak here as a word-addict, not as a free man!!!  But surely we don’t think we will be justified by our many words.

“To have lived is not enough—he (man) has to talk about it.” And so Mr. Beckett did so, as well—with the added warning that he too had to pander to the “bright set” or forfeit his living on the proceeds of writing.  I believe that the professional writer is handicapped from the outset—and has to be sure that his stuff has enough entertainment value to be purchased in sufficient quantities to support him or her. The “blog” avoids the trap of commercial bias—but cannot emerge from the self-serving bias nonetheless.

“Enough!” said Vladmir—for now. Pensees away! “Christ-shaped vacuums, unite! Nothing to lose but…”