Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 354

Crisis Returns

The InsideCatholic website has returned to its roots. InsideCatholic was an online version of the old Crisis Magazine, and the editors have decided on a shift back to Crisis. I'm still writing for them regularly, and one of the features of the new site which I like is that they have archived all my articles here. That means I can provide an easy link from my blog and the two sites should help one another a bit more. Go here for the new Crisis Magazine site and make sure you bookmark it and visit often for updates on Catholic theology, culture and politics. One of the new features which sounds really good is a column called 'Counterpoints' in which well known (and expert) Catholic authors will quickly correct common errors in the mainstream media with a punchy- blog-like entry.



I think InsideCatholic was a bit busy and trying to do too much with too little. They've now achieved an admirable focus and it's going to be exciting to see the way this moves forward for editor Brian St Paul and his team.

There Be Dragons

We had the opportunity to attend a special viewing of There Be Dragons at our local theater yesterday. Roland Joffe's film about St Josemaria Escriva was entertaining, intriguing and moving.



As a writer who publishes film reviews, has trained as a screenwriter and worked at a low level in film production, I always cringe when I hear that a film version of a life of a saint is being planned. I cringe because there are so many good Catholic film projects out there that need funding and support. However, the worthy folks who want to fund a 'good Catholic movie' (but don't actually know anything about making movies) most often want to fund a film about that special saint who has changed their life. Their enthusiasm and willingness to fund a huge project is wonderful, but alas, too often the result is marked by great doses of enthusiasm, piety and sincerity that are rarely matched by skill in scriptwriting, acting directing, producing and distribution.



Then when the moviegoing public yawns, and the film flops and everyone loses money, the worthy folks with fingers burned are never willing to invest in another Catholic movie, and too often we hear grumbling along the lines of "it figures that the movie wouldn't succeed. The liberal, atheistic, anti Catholic media people were all against it because it was Catholic." I'm sorry. The fact of the matter is, they were against it because it was a lousy, boring movie that was bound to be a flop and lose money.



You see, it's very difficult to make a movie about a saint because a movie is a motion picture and a motion picture is....errr...pictures that move. In other words it's about action. It's about conflict. It's visual. It's visceral. It's visible. The life of the saint is,  for the most part one of inner conflict, the struggles of the heart and the journey of a soul, and these things are, by definition, silent, still and invisible. The screenwriter's job is to make the struggle visible and full of action in some way. It's very difficult, and to find some conflict they are usually forced to exaggerate some conflict the saint had with an ignorant superior or arrogant churchman.



Therefore, when I heard that Roland Joffe had written, directed and produced There Be Dragons I was encouraged and intrigued. How would he handle a film about a saint? The way Joffe chose to solve the problem was to create a two tiered film structure. The main story line is not about St Josemaria, but about a boyhood friend, Manolo, who chose the path of wealth, power and passion for a woman. We follow both young men in the midst of the outward struggle of the Spanish Civil war, and Manolo's descent into violence and darkness showcases Josemaria's choice for peace and light.



The device works pretty well, and it is certainly a clever way of dealing with the difficulties of making a movie about a saint. The problem comes with the introduction of a third major character--Manolo's son--a journalist writing a book about St Josemaria Escriva--and it is through this character that the story of the two boys in the Spanish Civil War unfolds. His own search for his father and his origins drive the story, but this third story line also intrudes somewhat.



Putting these structural points on one side, the movie is genuinely powerful and absorbing. I was drawn into the life of Josemaria, and was moved by his courage and simple gentleness within the conflict of war. In fact, I wanted more of Josemaria and less of Manolo, and I think the storyline would have been better if we had had more direct conflict and interaction between the two. However, this would have probably taken the story too far from the actual facts of Josemaria's life and would have made the film faulty for other reasons.



As you would expect from Joffe (who also wrote and directed The Mission) the production values, direction and cinematography are top notch. The battle scenes are well directed and exciting and the acting (with cameos by Derek Jacobi and Geraldine Chaplin) is excellent.



Anyway--do I recommend it or not? I certainly recommend it. Go and take family and friends. The film will draw you into the life of St Josemaria and you'll come out wanting to be more holy...and that's a pretty good bargain for the price of a movie ticket!

Conspiracy Theories are Self contradictory

Conspiracy theories are a waste of time because they are internally self contradictory.



They are internally self contradictory because they are based on an underlying assumption that things are not what they seem, and that there is a conspiracy to cover the truth and project a lie. However, if things are not what they seem, then the conspiracy theory is also not what it seems. Once you enter the twilight zone of the conspiracy theorist everyone is a probably liar and every theory is just as credible as the next one. That has to include the conspiracy theorist as well, for isn't the conspiracy theorist actually cooking up a conspiracy of sorts himself?



Then we get into the tail-chasing madness in which the conspiracy theorists are all conspiring to dish out a false version of the truth. In other words, conspiracy theorists become conspirators.



They chase their tails in a kind of nail biting, wild eyed introspection which follows the irrational logic of insanity: You start with the conspiracy theory. If there is no evidence for the official line it proves that 'they'

are lying. If there is evidence, then it must be a fake. If there is incontrovertible scientific evidence it proves how very good 'they' are at covering up. If there are eyewitnesses it shows how easily people can be bought.



Conspiracy theorists tiptoe through quicksand. All evidence is suspect. All witnesses gullible dupes. All authority is involved in the massive cover up.



Let me illustrate how the fault of being internally self contradictory is revealed: Let's take an interesting and historical conspiracy--that Queen Elizabeth I was a man. This is the old story of the Bisley Boy. To be brief, the conspiracy is that the infant Elizabeth was in the country town of Bisley during the plague. She died and the villagers--terrified of the king's wrath--substituted the only other red haired child of that age, and it was a boy. Chances were that he would die young as well, and no one would know. But he survived, and the older he got and the more it looked like he would inherit the throne the more it was in his, and everyone else's (who was in the know) interest to maintain the fiction. For the conspiracy theorist this explains Elizabeth never marrying, never allowing herself to be seen unclothed even by her handmaids, it explains her being bald, having a deep voice, enjoying masculine sports like hunting, wearing wigs and heavy make up, and it explains why she forbade an autopsy after her death.



Now for those who like conspiracy theories, this is a humdinger. The problem is, as with all conspiracy theories, it is internally self contradictory, for if the received truth that Elizabeth was female is overturned, why then most anything, with a little bit of 'evidence' might be promoted as the 'truth'. We might say (as some do) that Elizabeth was actually William Shakespeare. We might cook up some other conspiracies and say she was a witch, or that she was cursed by the ghost of Ann Boleyn or that Mary Queen of Scots was not beheaded, and instead Elizabeth was beheaded and Mary Queen of Scots took the throne, but to avoid rebellion she pretended to be Elizabeth and all her courtiers (for fear of losing their own heads) helped to maintain the fiction.



The number of conspiracy theories is only matched by the amount of imagination people have along with the need to find some greater hidden meaning to it all. It's a form of illness and the final slam for conspiracy theorists is to ask, 'So what?' So what if JFK was actually murdered by LBJ, George Bush and the Cuban Cigar manufacturers? Can you do anything about that? So what if you discover incontrovertible proof that George W Bush murdered JFK Jr in a rigged plane crash or Elvis ate a poisoned peanut butter sandwich or Bill Clinton is a secret Rockefeller love child? Or Princess Diana was murdered by an international secret group of reptilian aliens. What are you going to do about it? Nothing. So at worst it's a waste of time and at best its an amusing hobby.



If you want to wonder at the hidden meaning of all things I recommend meditating on the mystery of Divine Providence.

Why There is No Conspiracy

I'm already hearing of the conspiracy theories around Bin Laden's death: "he's not really dead. They only killed his double." or "He was dead long ago. This is all a publicity stunt to get Obama re-elected." or whatever...



The thing which makes the story true is the inconsistency in the account. First he was killed in a firefight, then there wasn't really much resistance. He shot back and used his young wife as a shield, then he didn't after all. He was shot because he resisted arrest, then he was executed after being captured. The Pakistanis knew about him being there. No they didn't. They helped and gave support for the attack. No, they knew nothing about it.



If there was a genuine conspiracy of some sort the stories would be more watertight. It's the inconsistencies and contradictions that make it seem genuine. That's what really happens in tense, traumatic events--different stories emerge, different perspectives are given. Details are perceived differently by different people. Complicated reasons arise for different versions to be given. Different agendas come up which drive the narrative.



It's the same with the gospel accounts of the resurrection. There are seemingly contradictory details. Memories are skewed, perspectives are biased, accounts vary.



That's what makes it authentic. A conspiracy would have all the details tied up neatly and everybody would be on board.

Bizzy

The fact of the matter is, I'm very busy and getting busier. Along with being a school chaplain and parish priest we are in the exciting situation of having a parish that is in growth mode and there is much to do. Very much. One of the very muchness is that we are planning to build a new church, and if that isn't going to take up a precious lot of my time, then what is? So mercifully, I am having fewer speaking engagements and other stuff is being weeded out so I hope I can prioritize and this means that there is less time for blogging and even if I have the time to blog I don't always have the ideas, so I hope you will all be patient because Todd Unctuous has not commented on the death of Bin Laden and neither has Duane Mandible who thinks that Bin Laden was probably dead already for a long time but the Bush-Obama-Clinton-Illuminati conspiracy people kept his death to be released in order to boost the anti Christ's re election campaign and Mantilla the Hon has not been heard of for a long time and lots of other stuff, but with any luck I will get some time and inspiration before too long and keep going.



Thanks for being patient.

Divine Mercy

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.

Be Kind to Animals

Don't you be callin' me 'pet'!


An Oxford theologian has written a paper saying that we should no longer refer to our dogs, cats and hamsters as 'pets' because such a term is insulting, and we are no longer 'owners' but 'human carers'. You can read more about it here.



It reminds me of the bumper sticker prayer, "O Lord, please make me as wonderful as my dog thinks I am." AMEN.



And let us not forget the memorable poem to Jeoffry the Cat by Christopher Smart who was insane, and who has given us a line about Jeoffry which I would like to have as my epigraph : "For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery."



For I will consider my Cat Jeoffry.

For he is the servant of the Living God duly and daily serving him.

For at the first glance of the glory of God in the East he worships in his way.

For this is done by wreathing his body seven times round with elegant quickness.

For then he leaps up to catch the musk, which is the blessing of God upon his prayer.

For he rolls upon prank to work it in.

For having done duty and received blessing he begins to consider himself.

For this he performs in ten degrees.

For having consider'd God and himself he will consider his neighbour.

For if he meets another cat he will kiss her in kindness.

For when he takes his prey he plays with it to give it a chance.

For one mouse in seven escapes by his dallying.

For when his day's work is done his business more properly begins.

For he keeps the Lord's watch in the night against the adversary.

For he counteracts the powers of darkness by his electrical skin and glaring eyes.

For he counteracts the Devil, who is death, by brisking about the life.

For in his morning orisons he loves the sun and the sun loves him.

For he is of the tribe of Tiger.

For the Cherub Cat is a term of the Angel Tiger.

For he has the subtlety and hissing of a serpent, which in goodness he suppresses.

For he will not do destruction, if he is well-fed, neither will he spit without provocation.

For he purrs in thankfulness, when God tells him he's a good cat.

For he is an instrument for the children to learn benevolence upon.

For he is tenacious of his point.

For he is a mixture of gravity and waggery.

For he knows that God is his Saviour.

For there is nothing sweeter than his peace when at rest.

For there is nothing brisker than his life when in motion.

For he is of the Lord's poor and so indeed is he called by benevolence perpetually--Poor Jeoffry! poor Jeoffry! the rat has bit thy throat.

For he can jump over a stick which is patience upon proof positive.

For he can spraggle upon waggle at the word of command.

For he can jump from an eminence into his master's bosom.

For he can catch the cork and toss it again.

For he is hated by the hypocrite and miser.

For the former is afraid of detection.

For the latter refuses the charge.

For he camels his back to bear the first notion of business.

For he is good to think on, if a man would express himself neatly.

For he made a great figure in Egypt for his signal services.

For by stroking of him I have found out electricity.

For I perceived God's light about him both wax and fire.

For the Electrical fire is the spiritual substance, which God sends from heaven to sustain the bodies both of man and beast.

For God has blessed him in the variety of his movements.

For, tho he cannot fly, he is an excellent clamberer.

For his motions upon the face of the earth are more than any other quadruped.

For he can tread to all the measures upon the music.

For he can swim for life.

For he can creep. 

Royal Wedding Sermon

The Bishop of London--Richard Chartres--is one of the best the Church of England has to offer.



Go here to read his excellent sermon at the Royal Wedding today.

Le Jongleur de Dieu

I've had a very interesting email from a fellow who makes his living as a stand up comedian. He has come into the Catholic Church from a totally atheistic, non believing background, found his way through Buddhism and Eastern philosophies to Christianity and then Catholicism.



What interests me is that he tells me how atheistic the comedy circuit is. Religious people are regarded as dull dummies. Smart people are atheistic and funny. This is very sad because I think it should be exactly the other way around. I suspect by 'smart and funny' what people really mean is that atheistic comedians are sarcastic, cynical, immoral and mocking of all things. There's a certain humor in that, but it's pretty dark and ultimately very sad. Tears of the clown and all that stuff.



Why don't we have some more good Catholic comedians? Think about it, who else is better placed to have a laugh at all the shallow idiocy of this material world than a good Catholic? We're the ones who should be able to see through the ambitious self seeking corruption of politics and all the shallow megalomania of the Hollywood celebrity culture. It's people who can really see the truth who can also see the idiocy and foolishness of error. Only those who have an eternal perspective can see the sad silliness of everything else. I don't have problems with comedians mocking the world. I just wish they would.



Which brings me to the jongleur de Dieu--the old legend of the medieval juggler who wondered how he could serve God. So he took his juggler's balls and baubles and set up in front of the image of the Blessed Virgin and juggled and tumbled and stood on his head for Jesus. That makes sense to me. I wish I could do the same for the gospel stands the world on its head, and I reckon half the reason the Church doesn't make sense to the world is that it is too busy trying to make itself sensible to the world.



Oh, the dear sweet sincere Christians who are trying so hard to make the church 'relevant' when all the time anyone who really wants to find faith is longing for a church that is irrelevant because it is beautiful and radical and unexpected and subversive. See what a little jongleur de Dieu was St Therese when she cried, "You must be a whole saint or no saint at  all!" and "There is no virtue in doing what is reasonable!" What sad, misguided sincere Christians who try so hard to adapt the Church to the world rather than expecting the Church to challenge the world--and they do so in such a sincere and serious quest to be meaningful and useful themselves.



Well, I am quite pleased to have a new friend who is a stand up comedian. It is marvelous to me to have a friend who does something so delightfully useless as to make crowds of people cry with laughing. I feel an affinity with him as I stand up week by week to preach my homilies and celebrate the Mass, for I feel I am doing something (in the world's terms) which is delightfully useless too, and if he delights in making people see the truth by crying with laughter, then maybe in a small way I can help people see the truth by making them laugh while crying, for I have seen the best laughter in the midst of tears and the brightest smiles in the midst of mourning--and I think my new friend knows what I mean because maybe we are both in our own ways touching the parts of people that are truly way down deep and really human.



For 'human' is linked with 'humor' and 'humility' and they all come from the word 'humus' which means earth from which we all have come and to which we will return, and if he brings them down to earth with laughter I want to bring them down to earth through the liturgy which first raised them up to heaven, and they were raised up to heaven to remind them of earth, and if that made them humble, then it also made them--like the humor--more human.



So spare us good Lord from the serious people, and spare us from self righteous and the insane. Deliver us good Lord from the sincere and well meaning, and most of all spare us from those who take themselves seriously, and finally, Good Lord, Bless and keep the po faced and pious souls...far away from us. AMEN

Easter Shock! Horror!

What I love about the resurrection stories in this octave of Easter is the human shock and horror at what has happened. See Peter and John running from the tomb in terror and total bewilderment. Time and again we read that the disciples were shocked, horrified, terrified--overwhelmed. They thought they were seeing a ghost. This is the physically revolting terror of the living dead. Here was a corpse walking about. Here was someone they knew had died, but he was back again.

There is no mistaking what has happened. Those urbane theologians who reduce the resurrection to some sort of intellectual fairy tale have never grasped the gut wrenching, nightmare quality of the shocking events. The resurrection could not possibly be a case of 'the beautiful teachings of the noble rabbi continuing to be believed by his followers even after his tragic death' What a load of hogwash!

The sheer impossibility of the attested miracle is enough to validate the truth of the resurrection. Why would anyone make up anything so prepsosterous? If people wanted to make up a new religion would they not have devised something more believable, more acceptable, more reasonable? Instead they say a man has risen from the dead, that he contined to be alive and is alive today.

This is why I am so excited by Easter--because the resurrection stands the whole world on its head. We thought religion was about being good, or being wise, or being nice or believing the right things or doing the right things or performing certain rituals or learning how to meditate or transcend the physical realm or any other long list of do's and dont's and suddenly we find that all that religous fol-de-rol was just a pointer to something greater. It was a hint of what was to come.

And what was to come was not a religon but a relationship. The risen Christ come to meet us and demands a response--and taking refuge in a religion is a cop out, for the religions we create for ourselves (and they are many) are all too often an escape from the encounter rather than an experience of the encounter. As Catholics, the religion for-- all its objectivity and sacraments of grace-- must still be the way to that encounter which overturns the tables in the temple, calls dead men from the grave--the encounter from which we come with our hearts burning within us as he speaks the Word and makes himself known in the breaking of the bread.