To: "Percy-L: Literary and Philosophical Discussion" <percy-l AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [percy-l] Re On the end of all things
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:44:35 +0100
Dear Robert,
You wrote:
>> As a military man, I hope peace comes before religious unification.
As it says in an Old Book: "Without vision, the people perish."
>> These eternal religious questions will not soon be resolved.
No, surely they won't. But at least there is a significant process of Christian-Muslim dialogue now occurring, while productive Jewish- Christian dialogue has been going on since soon after the end of World War II.
>> Human humility must bow down before such unknowns.
Yes.
>> Do not shoot at me because we do not agree who God is.
The problem is that very often we shoot each other precisely for that
reason, and not just across major religious borders but even minor ones.
However it's astonishing that -- apart from the Balkans -- Europe, the battleground of so many wars, many of which had a religious
component, hasn't been a place of war for 63 years. This surely is in
part thanks to the efforts made here to gradually create a European Union. It is far from perfect, but we are not killing each other. (As an American living in Europe, I am one of the immediate beneficiaries.)
>> Let us form some sort of human community even in our confusion. >> Together we can struggle toward this unknown. >> All things that rise must converge.
The last phrase reminds me of Christ's words, which I paraphrase:
"If I be lifted up, I shall draw things unto myself."
Jim Forest
-- Jim & Nancy Forest Kanisstraat 5 1811 GJ Alkmaar The Netherlands
* * * Nancy and I have been keeping a journal that follows our recent kidney transplant. A blog has been set up for this purpose -- A Tale of Two Kidneys. See: http://ataleof2kidneys.blogspot.com/
* * *
[percy-l] Re On the end of all things,
Jim Forest, 02/28/2008