View 631 July 12 - 18, 2010 (original) (raw)

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Sunday, July 18, 2019

Diversity and Unity

Although this essay is based on the Lessons for the day, this isn't a sermon. Bear with me.

The lesson for the day is from Luke 40.

Luke tells us the story: Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, were entertaining Jesus and his disciples in Bethany, a few miles east of Jerusalem. Martha rushed about the kitchen and household, seeing to the cooking, bringing wash basins, changing towels, and doing the other things needful when one's home has been unexpectedly invaded by a celebrity and his entourage. I give the King James version rather than the rather insipid translations being read nowadays:

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

"And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his word.

"But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou are careful and troubled about many things:

"But one thing is needful: Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42)

The psalm for the day is Psalm 15. Modern translations turn this into something insipid. The best translation I know of is the Coverdale, which is based on both Luther and the Vulgate and to the best of my knowledge isn't contested by Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish authorities. It is inscribed on the tomb of Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts, and is often recited at the close of Scout meetings -- or used to be, anyway.

Psalm 15.
Domine, quis habitabit?
LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle : or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life : and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.
He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour : and hath not slandered his neighbour.
He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes : and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.
He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not : though it were to his own hindrance.
He that hath not given his money upon usury : nor taken reward against the innocent.
Whoso doeth these things : shall never fall.

There was a time when a large portion of the the populations of England and the United States would have heard these lessons once a year. The translation might differ, and Sunday on which the lesson was read might be different, but a lot of people would have heard these lessons and be familiar with not only the stories, but often the language itself. Authors could count on this: those who could read had probably read those lessons and knew those stories.

Moreover, most people in the US and England, and for that matter most of Western Europe and great numbers throughout the civilized world would not only be more or less familiar with the Psalm, but agree with its sentiments. They might be Jewish or Catholic or Evangelical or Unitarian or agnostic or flat out atheist, but they'd pretty well agree that taking reward against the innocent would not be a moral or ethical thing to do. They might have some quibbles about what it mean to put money upon usury, but they'd pretty well agree that grinding the faces of the poor was a despicable way to make a living; that keeping your word and not disappointing your neighbor even if that wasn't to your best advantage was the right thing to do.

Many might not follow those precepts: if the reward against the innocent is large enough, or the hindrance for keeping your word to your neighbor severe enough, the temptation would be great and one might succumb: but that's another story. A very long time ago historians told stories of those who knew what was right and who actually did right. But there was fundmental agreement on what was right, and moreover, and doing right applied to all those around you. After all, the Lesson of the Good Samaritan had been read a few Sundays before, and that explicitly defined who was your neighbor.

Those who didn't go to church would still have heard much of this in the public schools.

And while the lesson of the story of Mary and Martha is not so clear, Kipling could assume that most of his readership would be familiar with it, and thus he could write The Sons of Martha; and we can all be grateful that there are daughters and sons of Martha. The world doesn't work very well without them.

The Sons of Martha

Of course those lessons are no longer permitted in the schools at any level, lest someone be offended. Perhaps we are better for this, but it is something to be contemplated. A nation must be built on some common agreements, and there are indications that the common pool of agreement is getting shallower every year. When there comes a generation which has no daughters and sons of Martha, can we survive?

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So we know now that a project out by Dulles Airport proudly boasts of its $18 million stimulus and the jobs created by that. It turns out that the total number of jobs created by the project is under 20. Perhaps there ought simply be a lottery: give half a million cash, no taxes, to 20 winners. Require each winner to hire someone at minimum wage for a year. They could spend the rest any way they wanted. I am sure they'd spend it, and some might even invest it; and I suspect the effect on the economy would be no worse than achieved with the various projects. It might even be cheaper to run the lottery than to award the project, too. Other savings come to mind.

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The paperback of Niven and Pournelle, Escape from Hell, is available. If you haven't read it, I am pretty sure you'll like it. I read it over again the other day and I sure found it readable.

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Felons Voting Illegally May Have Put Franken Over the Top in Minnesota, Study Finds http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/12/
felons-voting-illegally-franken-minnesota-study-finds/print

The six-month election recount that turned former Saturday Night Live comedian Al Franken into a U.S. senator may have been decided by convicted felons who voted illegally in Minnesota's Twin Cities, according to an 18-month study conducted by a conservative watchdog group.

The six-month election recount that turned former "Saturday Night Live" comedian Al Franken into a U.S. senator may have been decided by convicted felons who voted illegally in Minnesota's Twin Cities.

I know no more about it than this, but I did find it interesting that they kept counting until Franken won. And I make no doubt that will happen this November as well. It's always best to have a decisive win. Recounts generally go to the party employing the recounters.

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