bloed zweet & tranen: broken hearted melodies ...


Thus Cyprian,
in spite of his exhortions to martyrdom,
upon being given the chance
had himself withdrawn from Carthage
in order to escape
being martyred.

One can hear
in his deacon's account
some rhetorical dancing in order
to defend this:

"And therefore
for such merits
he at once obtained
the glory of proscription also ...
He might, indeed, at that time,
in acoordance with the rapidity wherewith he always attained everything,
have hastened to the crown of martyrdom appointed for him,
especially when with repreated calls he was frequently demanded for the lions,
had it not been needful for him to pass through all the grades of glory,
and thus to arrive at the highest,
and had not the impending desolation needed the aid
of so fertile a mind.
For conceive of him as being at that time taken away by the dignity of martyrdom.
Who was there to show the advantage of grace,
advancing by faith?"

Although a cynic
might see here merely a faithful
or even sycophantic disciple defending his beloved bishop's honor,
there is more going on than that, for the argument being offered is a serious one,
one so serious that it provided tha basis for the antimartyrdom discourse of the Gnostics,
for whom the Christian never could ne perfected through dying,
but only through living a life of ever-increasing spirituality.
Precisely for that reason, the "orthodox" Christian
could not finally choose
this option.

After detailing
all the losses to the community
that would have occurred of Cyprian had been martyred
too soon, the good deacon demonstrates that even the bishop's initial flight
and dodging of martyrdom
was only for the sake of ~ martyrdom:
"Who was there to raise up such great martyrs by the exhortation of his divine discourse?
Who was there, in short, to animate so may confessors sealed with a second inscription on their distinguished brows, and reserved alive for an example of martyrdom,
kindling their ardour with a heavenly trumpet?
Fortunately, fortunately it occurred then, and truly by the Spirit's direction,
that teh man who was needed for so many and so excellent purposes was withheld
from the consummation of martyrdom.
Do you wish to be assured that the cause of his withdrawal was not fear?
To allege nothing else, he did suffer subsequently, and this suffering he assuredly would have eveded as usual, if he had evaded it before.
It was indeed that fear - that fear which prefers to obey G d's commands
rather than to be crowned in disobedience.
For a mind dedicated in all things to G d, and thus enslaved to the divine admonitions,
believed that even in suffering itself it would sin, unless it had obeyed the Lord,
who them bade him seek the place
of concealment!"

A riveting text.

Bejaardenbedtijd:
droom maar lekker van
al die verschillende hallucinerende
extreem fanatieke slachtoffers & daders!
Blijkbaar heeft de menselijke soort
praktisch oneindige capaciteiten
voor lijden &
doen lijden?

Ik bedoel maar:
je bent er zelf bij,
maar je kunt iedereen 'de schuld' wel geven:
je vijanden, je ouders, de omstandigheden, traditie, ideologie, religie
en allerlei andere eenvoudige of
ingewikkelde mentale
constructies.

Verbazend
hoeveel mensen er elke dag weer
geboren blijven worden.

Hoevelen zichzelf
en/of elkaar van
kant maken.

Of
gewoon sterven
aan 'on~
gelukjes'.

Toeval
of 'wat dan
ook'?

Toch
onze eigen verantwoordelijkheid
[minstens] ten
dele.

blozen
engel
geschokt
verliefdliefdesverdrietverliefd
28 jul 2008 - bewerkt op 28 jul 2008 - meld ongepast verhaal
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Profielfoto van Asih
Asih, man, 80 jaar
   
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