Let them eat cake

Yesterday morning, I drove Cindy down Georgia 16 to the Chevron station at the intersection of Georgia 16 and I-75 to meet my parents and to allow her to accompany them to St. George Island in the panhandle of Florida. Cindy was looking forward to the trip and to the opportunity to eat seafood in my absence, while I worked, waited for Kate to arrive from college, worked on the house, and drove down to join them on Tuesday evening. It appears that Frank will be bringing Maggie and Lily up from Palm Beach Gardens and Susan and Kevin are supposed to bring the girls down from Mableton. It may be quite a packed Thanksgiving celebration.

Today, my calendar refers to St. Elizabeth of Hungary who apparently performed a miracle in which she turned bread into roses. You may remember that the New Testament refers to Christ's miracle of turning a couple of loaves of bread into enough to feed five thousand people, with plenty to spare. You also may remember that Christ referenced simple bread into a representation of his body, broken for us sinners. Clearly, bread is important in the Christian religion; however, turning bread into roses seems to be a waste of time. Why this person was canonized is beyond me, if turning food into flowers is the basis for her sanctification. It seems quite a turning away from what Christ would have done, given his previous actions with bread. Anyway, St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of bakers, which also makes little sense. It seems she should be the patron saint of rose growers. I don't pretend to understand the comings and goings of the Catholic church, both past or present. Long live the Reformation!

There was a program on A&E about Cat Stephens, now Yusuf Islam. Apparently, Cat or Yusuf, was a very serious young man who turned away from a life of celebrity and praise and looked for significance in religion. After having a near death experience in the waters of Malibu, California, he made a deal with God in which he asked for salvation from the waters and promised God that he would dedicate himself to God's worship. After being saved from the waters of California by a push of incoming tide, Cat changed his name, began praying on a carpet in his dressing room, donated his guitars to charity and left music for the study of Islam.

I understand that for a young Englishman of Greek roots, Islam might seem familiar yet exotic. Indeed, the strict requirements of Islam might seem more 'real' for one raised on the surface of Christianity. I don't hold Islam responsible for this. I really hold modern Christianity responsible. The church has lost its hold on western culture. When it tries to exert pressure, it seems to attempt to grasp us in a manner which is over the top and against the normal sensibilities of modern man. When it tries to be gentlemanly and allow for greater freedom of choice in its dealings with the uninitiated among us, it seems inconsequential.

And lets face it, Christianity, like any religion, has been used by people for their own benefit and to support their own agendas. There are too many examples and the media is too quick to draw these out and lay their shortcomings before the eyes of the public.

I do believe in the calling of Christianity, both pragmatically and spiritually. I do believe that the life we are called to live, the things we are required to do, if practiced in reality would offer true salvation to the world, through God's son. I believe that Christianity does, in fact, provide real, tangible benefit to the world today. I am saddened when we turn away from this offering to other beliefs and other creeds, rather than taking a deeper examination into the life that Christ would have us live.

Oddly, I think it is significant that Yusuf sold his instruments and gave up his career to follow God. Is this not what Christ told the rich, young ruler in the New Testament?

The bread of life is there for all of us, richer and more filling than anything we might find offered in the rest of the world. Let us all eat cake.