A favorite passage from one of my favorite books is the quote below from Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.
Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte, two young Englishmen, meet at Oxford in the period between the two world wars. Charles is an unbeliever, and Sebastian is from an aristocratic Roman Catholic family. Once they have been friends for a while, Charles brings up Sebastian's faith and Catholicism. What follows is the dialogue between the two:
(Sebastian) “Oh dear, it’s very difficult being a Catholic!”
(Charles) “Does it make much difference to you?”
(Sebastian:) “Of course. All the time.”
(Charles) “Well, I can’t say I’ve noticed it. Are you struggling against temptation? You don’t seem much more virtuous than me.”
(Sebastian) “I’m very, very much wickeder,” said Sebastian indignantly.
(Charles) “… I suppose they try to make you believe an awful lot of nonsense?”
(Sebastian) “Is it nonsense? I wish it were. It sometimes sounds terribly sensible to me.”
(Charles) “But my dear Sebastian, you can’t seriously believe it all.”
(Sebastian) “Can’t I?”
(Charles) “I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass.”
(Sebastian) “Oh yes. I believe that. It’s a lovely idea.”
(Charles) “But you can’t believe things because they’re a lovely idea.”
(Sebastian) “But I do. That’s how I believe.”
I love the passage, because Sebastian describes how I believe, too. It's very much the stories, the myths (not myths in the sense of something that's not true - myths in the sense of universal truths) that draw me into Christianity.
A note about the nativity set in the picture: The figures were made from ordinary ceramic molds, which I've seen examples of here and there, but my mother made them and painted them some years ago, so I'm sentimentally attached. I have three large camels, too, but they crowd the table, so I left them out this year. I just now noticed that the baby Jesus is hidden in the picture. Shame on me.
I bought a digital camera, but I haven't taken it out of the box yet, because I know it will be a struggle to learn how to use it and upload the pictures to the computer. I'm actually afraid of it. I look at the box and glance quickly away. If I knew how to use it, I could arrange the figures differently and bring Jesus into the picture, Jesus in the picture seeming rather important at this time of the year.
what a lovely conversation! that's how I believe, too.
ReplyDeleteand Merry Christmas
Fear not, as angels always remind us. Jesus is often hidden but always present.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely nativity and a lovely post.
Beautiful thoughts, Grandmère. It's quite alright that we can't spot the Baby Jesus; It's still Advent.
ReplyDeleteThis morning, we attended the 11:00 service at our parish. Just prior to the beginning of the service, a little girl who looked to be about 3 years came, some times running, then walking down the aisle at the Cathedral, asking in an excited voice, "Where's the Baby Jesus?" It was cute beyond words.
I told my partner, there's a lesson there somewhere. Are we "young" and earnest in our longing for the Christ?
KJ, mwah!
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post, Grandmère Mimi. I hope we always believe in lovely ideas. What else can we do?
You know, my friends, sometimes you make me cry.
ReplyDeleteDiane, Merry Christmas, and thank you.
Oh, Paul, "often hidden but always present". How true and comforting. Perhaps, the picture was no "mistake".
KJ, what an adorable story. From the mouths of babes....
PJ, what else can we do, indeed?
Oh Mimi! Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI love that dialogue! And I feel the same way.
Our pastor (Fr. Butler LOL) preached on something similar on Friday daily mass. He reminded us that we are not literal as Catholics and that we have literature, myth, allegory, poetry and metaphor to help us carry out faith forth.
I could not agree more and it does sound so sensible to me much of the time.
Interestingly enough, I just got done being a bit pedantic over at a lefty but sometimes Christian bashing blog that I visit. So nice to come here for the healing balm that is Grandmere Mimi's.
I love your nativity set and what it means, by the way.
And your camera- love your camera, welcome your camera.
Fran, tell my Yankee clergy kin "Hi" for me.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could read your pedantry at the lefty blog. I used to try to defend being a Christian at some of the lefty blogs, but I gave it up. We're all fundies to them, and they don't want to bother making distinctions.
I know I will love my camera when I get the hang of it. Thanks for your too kind words.
KJ:
ReplyDeleteI was so tempted to join you at the cathedral this morning.
But then you saw the rain we had and I thought how warm and cozy and dry bed was this morning. So I read some magazines while the dogs piled p all around me. I put our new fireplace dvd in just to make it feel like it was a holiday morning in bed.
Should I try for midnight service tomorrow night or will it be a zoo?
Mimi your creche looks just fabulous.
ReplyDeleteby the way, you might want to go over to Clumber's and see his whiskey cake recipe.
It is baking in my kitchen right now and it smells wonderful.
I knew he was in there, Grandmère Mimi... in fact, I see him in most of your posts.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about the camera. You'll have it mastered in short order.
Lindy and Rowan
Dennis, Clumber's recipe sounds yummy. Maybe for New Year's. I'm not going shopping again until after Christmas. And you had to bake using the good stuff, against the advice of the old dog.
ReplyDeleteLindy and Rowan, thank you. I still can't believe my picture of the nativity with Jesus hidden, but y'all have made me feel much better about it.
It just goes to prove that this is an amateur blog, not a professional blog.
Grandmère Mimi, I have a similar nativity set sitting on the mantle with the wise men at the far end making their way toward the Holy Family. By Epiphany they will have arrived.
ReplyDeleteI, too, believe. Whether or not Mary was actually a virgin in the current sense of the word, whether or not she remained so does nothing to lessen my belief that true God from true God was born that night long ago in a stable in Bethlehem.
I recently heard either Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens (I am not sure which at this moment.) rattling on in some interview and saying that no one in this day and age could seriously say the Nicene Creed and actually believe it. Even as he said it, I wanted to tell him that I certainly could, and did, usually many times each week.
P.S. Get out the camera. Load up the batteries and the memory card/chip/whatever. To start with, just put it in Auto Mode. Point it and shoot it. It will be the easiest thing you have ever done. It is much more forgiving that film and if you mess up you can see that instantly and get a "do over." What a concept! After you up load onto your computer you can tweak your shots even more. You are going to love it.
Boocat, your figures could actually be from the same mold. I have seen them painted in a variety of ways. The one I liked least was iridescent white.
ReplyDeleteI love the way the militant, fundamentalist atheists "know" to be true what is patently false. How can they possibly "know" that I don't believe what I do believe.
I'm counting on your word about the camera, and I'll be back at you if it's not easy.
Oh Grandmere, can you please stop by when you have a moment?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
I will tell Patrick that you said hello! He knows of your existence.
I wish my daughter would accept the "lovely idea" and honor it.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you have your mother's nativity scene that she painted. How sweet.
Merry Christmas, dear Grandmere Mimi.
Joyeaux Noel, cher Grandmere.
ReplyDeletePeace
JP
Fran, I am honored beyond what I can say by your Blog Blessing. Thank you. When I try to make choices to pass the blessing or the meme on, I tend to get blocked. I can't do it. I can't choose. I'll ponder it, but I may not be able to pass it on.
ReplyDeleteJan, you can but pray for your daughter. I have wishes and prayers for many in my family, too. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Jay, bienvenu, cher. Joyeux Noël à vous. Thanks for visiting.
Great reflection on belief - I always like that idea that we give our hearts to something even when our minds are slow to grasp the concept. Faith seeking understanding - I think from Anselm or Augustine or one of those A saints.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that some are able to say the Nicene Creed. I personally can't say it with a clean conscience because I don't believe what it says.
ReplyDeleteBut I say what I can. Typically I start with everyone by saying "We believe in One God" and then I stop and stand respectfully and quietly until I chime in "and in Jesus Christ" pausing until I say "For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried" and stop there until I join the rest of the congregation for Amen.
The great thing about being an Episcopalian is that a fervent believer and I can both worship in the same church. We both can find a place.
Most of us who read Hitchens and Dawkins and doubt the virgin birth or the parting of the Red Sea or the earth stopping for Joshua or even water becoming wine, most of us aren't "fundamentalist atheists."
Some of us are even your fellow Episcopalians who are trying to make sense of it all. We can't check our minds at the door - we just can't - and asking us to do so is wrong. But we try to reconcile where and what we can to have the best of both worlds.
I hope that it never happens that someone should tell me to pick one or the other, choose between believing it all or science, because in that case science would win, hands down.
But until that day many of us aren't trying to take away anyone's belief. We are just trying to find a working model that we can live with.
Dennis, I wouldn't dare to tell you what you believe or what you don't. No one should tell me what I believe.
ReplyDeleteThe scientific types who say, "There is no God," most certainly cannot prove that. How on earth would you prove that through science? The most they have a right to say is, "I don't believe there is a god, and here's why."
I believe in science. When scientists overreach they should be called on it. Dawkins overreaches in that he claims as fact that which he cannot prove, and he makes lame arguments, because he is woefully ignorant about faith and religion. He sets up straw men and knocks them down.
I would never ask you to choose between science and religion, because I believe that there is no conflict. And I don't put your religious beliefs to the test, if I sit next to you in the pew. Say the creed however you like.
I have no difficulty saying it honestly. And I don't believe I check my mind at the door, nor would I ever ask anyone else to do so.
You are where you are in your beliefs, and you are welcome in my church, so far as I am concerned. Be at peace as you search for your working model of the faith, my friend.
well we almost did sit in a pew together.
ReplyDeleteOnly that time it was confusion at the 4 or 5 different service books plus supplemental sheets that had meet standing there quietly!
Dennis, I thought for a minute there that we were going to have a quarrel on Christmas Eve, but it seems destined not to be. Thanks be to God.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm going to start writing my book on why string theory is all wrong.
well I agree with you there. No string theory for me.
ReplyDeleteI am a much bigger fan of duct tape theory.
It just holds together better.
Agreed, Dennis and Grandmère, in our ability to disagree while agreeing. :-)
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have loved about TEC, at least the niche where we find ourselves, is the freedom to allow people to be where they are on their faith journey and wish them peace in the process.
Dennis, the duct tape theory works better for me, too.
ReplyDeleteKJ, the acceptance of diversity of beliefs makes for a richness in the Episcopal Church, IMHO.
Mimi, you'll actually be amazed at how simple the digital camera is and how easy it is to plug it into your computer and upload the pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou should load the Google photo software (free) named Picassa. It will do all the work for you and even let you post directly to your blog.
I was experimenting with another of its blog features a couple of days ago and posted a slide show on my blog. I was amazed at how little I had to do to get it up there. If I have time I'll post some slide shows of the upcoming trip while I'm over there.
Mike, you don't know me. I did finally open the box, and it already looks complicated. The manual is thick. I already have Picasa, because I have been getting my pictures from my film camera on CDs. We'll see. I am not hopeful that it will come easy for me. I hope you're right.
ReplyDeleteOh don't worry about the manual. They talk about too many tricks to take in, like word processor manuals. Just read the parts about what you'll be doing ... which is basically point and shoot. Later on you can learn the fancier tricks if want to. (Curiosity will probably get the better of you about all the tricky stuff.)
ReplyDeleteMike, thanks for the advice. I'm sure I will find it useful.
ReplyDelete