This week marks the
third anniversary of this weekly blog, which has had 100,000 visitors, not
counting over 400 free weekly subscribers and followers. There are nearly 160 posts
archived in the right rail of the blog site. Donations for 2013 totaled
$1000. Posts have appeared on other blog
sites and e-newsletters, including Believe Out Loud, Progressive Christianity,
and The Huffington Post. Thanks, all!
I
have thought of the devil as a metaphorical character rather than an actual
being as far back as high school, despite my fundamentalist upbringing. My
explanation to those who disagreed was that my unbelief was the worst insult I
could heap on the devil if “he” did exist!
But
I am taken with Hildegard of Bingen’s notion that Satan can’t sing, because he
opposes all harmony. Editor Barbara Newman explains that Hildegard’s morality
plays predate commonly known morality plays by 150 years. One of them, Ordo Virtutum, is entirely sung except
for Satan’s monologues, because Hildegard didn’t think the devil could carry a
tune!
Opposed
to all harmony, Satan could never join a choir or quartet, band or orchestra. He
could never play well with others, so he could never join a team or a cause or
a community or a theater troupe. He couldn’t dance or weave or paint or
write—because all require some kind of harmonizing.
But
he could join the conflicts in Washington, the Middle East, and dysfunctional churches.
He could be racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-Semitic, misogynistic,
elitist, bigoted, hierarchical, autocratic, intransigent, uncooperative,
greedy, misanthropic, and more. So many bad things, so little time!
Satan
is too often a role model for us. No wonder so many people believe in him.
Visit the first two posts of this blog:
Other posts referencing Hildegard of Bingen:
Progressive Christian
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I wrote nice long comment and do not feel llke writing it out again. As often happens the "comment as:" is not intuitive for me. I want to identify as just chuckjarvis@yahoo.com but sometimes that seems beyond the parameters of this. arrrrggghhhh. it was really one of my most interesting (to me) comments that your blog inspired. sorry.
ReplyDeleteNothing like my earlier intended comment but i must say that this produces a hailstorm of thinking for me. I judge (which i equate with the forbidden fruit) myself about whether i am in harmony. I accuse myself that i mostly don't. The idea that hell is being convinced one is separate from everything and anything, everyone and anyone seems horrible but sometimes it seems palliative!! But awareness that one is connected to everyone is difficult when perceiving lack of harmony. etc ad nauseum. i guess i cannot restate what i did earlier vry well. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for trying to leave a comment once more! I'm always glad to hear from you!
DeleteThank you Chris - as I re-enter the fray of pastoral ministry fairly soon - I can already hear a sermon coming together :-)
ReplyDeleteFunny how that happens! That's how my posts get born! Thanks for letting me know!
DeleteI suspect your blog mechanism is not working. Blog comments seem to be getting lost in the ether.
ReplyDeleteI will have the person who set up my blog for me check into it. I exhaust my technical skills simply putting up my posts! I gather you've had trouble? I'm really dependent on (and grateful to) Google for making the blog possible in the first place!
DeleteMaybe was an intermittent problem. Not knowing how or what identity option folks were/are using, hard to say whether it's Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, or another selection that's acting glitch-y. I'm using my Google identity.
ReplyDeleteWhen people select Anonymous (must be signed out of Google Account for it to work), are those comments posting? I'm using the Anonymous option with this comment, but signing my name to this comment.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Becki Jayne
Thanks, Becki Jayne! You are the best!
Delete