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Mark Storer's avatar

I have made the mistake this year of coming to Lent without intentions. As has happened in previous Lenten journeys, our family lost many members in leading up to it. Somehow, in my poetic and snarky response, I'll say, "I gave up Joanne, Muriel and Dave for Lent this year. I'm good..." Pitying them, but more importantly pitying myself. And then I find I need to give up that pity for Lent...

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Louisa Stinger's avatar

Jordan peterson talks about how sacrifice requires a death of some dead thing or part of us. The law of sacrifice is actually a beautiful law when I think about it. Like you said, anything of the world that we sacrifice carves out room in us For something more true because

It is eternal. Only he could make an infinite sacrifice in a finite body and environment. The possibilities this opened for us are eternal.❤️🙏

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Average joe's avatar

On the recent podcast you iterated the need for Christian art , and good art. One great example up there is in my humble opinion is Agatha Christie’s “murder on the orient express” which has had many successful runs ,mainly because it’s a masterpiece in the pantheon of murder mystery genre.

But at the heart of the great storytelling, character development & flow of the this classic is a phrase you’ve used of late “trapped in their philosophy”

And as we are talking “Christian Art” it would be an understatement to say “uncharitable” to avoid a biblical reference at the centre of the work .

This being Poirot’s struggle with God and what justice looks like and why.

Will he follow to the letter of the LAW (philosophy) as he devoutly believes civilisation itself rest on it.

Or will he take a different path as he knows those that stand accused of murder are no killers at heart.

Which path will he take & why .

the LAW and its interpretation is at the Center of the piece as is the Pharisee’s LAW and Christs interpretation on the Sabbeth is in the Gospels. Which creates great consternations amongst the religious leaders of this time (for various reasons) and the Roman overlords.

But Prirot , Christ like , sees after much deliberation a more righteous compassionate path in the moment as did Christ ( without hesitation) in the healing of the blind man on the sabbath. And offered the sheep that falls into a hole in the ground on the sabbath and the Pharisees which without hesitation would save it , although it’s not to the letter of the LAW. This parable is then used to explain to the Pharisees the true nature of righteousness in the moment.

Being trapped in one’s own philosophy can have consequences that echo through eternity.

How a new production company portrays this on stage in a recent theatre performance I witnessed was something to behold.

Kind regards

Average joe

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Sheryl Rhodes's avatar

Praying more often to have, as the Lorica prayer of Saint Patrick begins, Christ before me, Christ to the left of me, Christ to the right of me…But

I get in my own way; as the song goes (sort of) Here I am, stuck in the middle with me.

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