Unpleasant Truths

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Yesterday, Tom at Disputations commented that sometimes you just happen to get an answer that completely satisfies the question but disconcerts the questioner. Today I had a similar sort of disconcerting experience--call it looking in a mirror I didn't want to see.

"Sin speaks to the sinner
in depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone."

I've read the words every first Wednesday from the time I started praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Today they decided finally to speak rather than to remain on the page, and I would rather that they had not. It makes one rather uncomfortable.

But then I suppose there is a blessing here as I recall the words of Soren Kierkegaard--"Those who are comfortable with Christ do not know Him."

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3 Comments

The trick here is to use a different translation. Douay Rheims, for example, has, "The unjust hath said within himself, that he would sin: there is no fear of God before his eyes."

And since we know that, though we are sinners, it would be too much to say we are "unjust," the verse rolls right on by.

Nice Soren quote.

I used to be to read Psalms like Psalm 26 without cringing: "Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; [therefore] I shall not slide."

Now I skip those. And when David asks the Lord to smote his human enemies I mentally substitute the devil, demons and my own negative thoughts. Works just as well.

Sometimes the truth smacks you between the eyes like a 2 pound ball-peen hammer. Thanks for these thoughts, Steven.

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This page contains a single entry by Steven Riddle published on June 2, 2004 7:05 AM.

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