Head-dibs

Two gripping thoughts on Hypocrisy by G.K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936): "LET it never be forgotten that a hypocrite is a very unhappy man; he is a man who has devoted himself to a most delicate and arduous intellectual art in which he may achieve masterpieces which he must keep secret, fight thrilling battles and win hair-breadth victories for which he cannot have a whisper of praise. A really accomplished impostor is the most wretched of geniuses: he is a Napoleon on a desert island." ("Browning.") "We ought to see far enough into a hypocrite to see even his sincerity. We ought to be interested in that darkest and most real part of a manin which dwell not the vices that he does not display, but the virtuesthat he cannot. And the more we approach the problems of human history with this keen and piercing charity, the smaller and smaller space we shall allow to pure hypocrisy of any kind. The hypocrites shall not deceive us into thinking them saints; but neithe...

When Howard Carter and his associates found the tomb of King Tutenkhamen, they opened up his casket and found another within it. They opened up the second, which was covered with gold leaf, and found a third. Inside the third casket was a fourth made of pure gold. The pharoahs body was in the fourth, wrapped in gold cloth with a gold face mask. But when the body was unwrapped, it was leathery and shriveled.

"Everyone things of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself." (Leo Tolstoy, 1828 - 1910)

The result of our recent move has put us within the boundaries of a changing neighborhood. A local church is fronting an initiative called “The Nehemiah Project” that includes affordable housing and cleaning up the neighborhood both aesthetically and spiritually. Though I think we are the only white people for quite a few miles, I actually delight in God’s providence for us to be in this area, though we are not part of that local church—I am sure He is going to do something great. I mentioned before about the party that took place next door: the loud music, the debauchery and language being broadcast without shame into the neighborhood. I was outside doing some gardening last night when I suddenly heard an eruption of profanity and abusive speech from two bickering females (I just can’t call them “ladies”) two houses down—yes, two houses down. About once a week they erupt and I shoo the children inside . . . I never have been able to tell what their problem is, but all the guys do ...