Teach me to care and not to care.
“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
Which of the two did what his father wanted?” [asked Jesus]
“The first,” they answered.
Tom: Why should the devil have all the good music?
Harry: You mean like Bach?
Tom: No, not like—
Harry: Haydn? Monteverdi? Tallis? Josquin des Prez?
Tom: No, like modern stuff.
Harry: Arvo Pärt?
Tom: No, he’s—
Harry: John Tavener?
Tom: No, he’s too churchy. That’s not what I’m referring to.
Harry: Eric Whitacre?
Tom: Who? No. I don’t know who that is.
Harry: Who are you talking about?
Tom: I mean, like, The Flaming Lips. The Flaming Lips are amazing. They—
Harry: Never heard of them. Do they sound like Chumbawamba?
Tom: What? No. Not at all.
Harry: Chumbawamba isn’t churchy.
Tom: That’s not my point.
Harry: I bet the devil likes Chumbawamba.
Tom: Why?
Harry: They’re not churchy. Neither are The Black Eyed Peas. Do they belong to the devil?
Tom: I don’t know.
Harry: You said the devil shouldn’t have all the good music and I wondered if you were referring to “My Humps.”
Tom: Obviously not. That song is terrible.
Harry: Does the devil think it’s terrible, too?
Tom: Look, my point is—
Harry: Your point is the devil likes The Black Eyed Peas.
Tom: Geez, there’s no talking to you. I’m going home.
Harry: Have fun listening to Chumbawamba with the devil.
When Virgil first encounters Dante, he asks him why he won’t climb the hill “shawled in morning rays.” Dante does not answer, though. He is too ashamed. After hearing Dante’s response, Virgil knows that Dante is in no position to climb the mountain.
This is divine love, though.
When God will not help you ascend, He will help you descend. When God will not help you rise, He will help you fall.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations by teaching them how to think, not what to think.”
The Divine Comedy for Beginners starts tomorrow. You can still register to audit the class. There’s no reading to do for the first lecture and the video will show up in your inbox Wednesday morning. Like magic.
I don’t know why everyone was iffy on the third season of The Bear.
As of this morning, there’s only one spot remaining open for The Classical Teaching Institute’s Fall Literature Retreat. If you want to claim the last spot, it won’t last long. You can register here.
Tom: That’s your ninth taco.
Harry: But I’m praying for you while I chew. It’s called servant gluttony.
Scene 1:
Dad: Much like Christianity, the rise of video games took place in the margins of society, not in the Palaces of Power. It was the poor and despised of the world who devoted themselves to video games, not the elite and wealthy.
Boy: I’m so glad those early gamers persevered, Dad.
Dad: Gamers were often mocked for their devotion to entertaining themselves, as well. People in lofty positions told gamers, ‘You’ll never make anything of yourself if you waste your life on those ridiculous games.’ But the gamers could not be stopped. The more “sophisticated people” made fun of them, the more their numbers increased.
Boy: The early gamers must have been really courageous, Dad.
Dad: They were, son. What they did in the darkness, we can now do in the light.
Scene 2:
Dad: A long time ago, many of the greatest video game players died penniless and alone.
Boy: I don’t understand.
Dad: I don’t either, son.
Scene 3:
Dad: In bygone days, video games were quite expensive. If you owned a game, you had played it, beaten it. Now, sadly, many people have video games on their shelves just for show. Video games have become so common, so cheap, that people don’t really respect them.
Boy: That’s sad.
Dad: I know, son. I know.
There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity.