" I implore you, my child; observe heaven and earth, consider all that is in them, and acknowledge that God made them out of nothing (ex nihilo), and that mankind comes into being in the same way..." 2 Maccabees 7:28

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Oh. My. Goodness.

Now I'm all for modesty, don't get me wrong, but even a virtue can be taken to an extreme. Chesterton, in his book "Orthodoxy" explains that an isolted virtue separated from the influence of all the other virtues can cause more damage than a vice, and be harder to recognize; for instance patience needs to be tempered by justice or it could morph into passivity; prudence needs generosity or it risks becoming miserly; courage needs wisdom... you get the picture.

I guess it's easy in a culture such as ours to be hyper- vigilant. Here is a website my sister sent me; it reminded me of Chesterton. Here, in my opinion, is an example of modesty functioning in isolation.

www.wholesomewear.com (you'll have to cut and paste, can't figure out how to make these &*$#@ links active!)

It's kind of sad. We're here to transform the world we live in, not remain so totally apart from it that we can't engage our culture. These swimsuits give more coverage than you would need to attend church on Sunday! I'm not trying to poke fun, it just seems so extreme.

Speaking of the idea of virtue- I remember a nun explaining to me that we all have a natural bent toward certain virtues by way of our personalities; some of us are naturally patient or naturally brave. However she said not to mistake these inborne qualities for real virtue- they need to be perfected and elevated by developing the opposite virtueto be authentic. Real virtue has to be learned. So someone who, by nature is quiet and patient is practicing real virtue when they speak up and stand for truth even when it means acting against their own placid personality. And conversely, someone who is naturally brave and outspoken is truly growing when they can remain silent in the face of something that sparks their ire. This is an encouraging thought to me, because it means that we can never judge by the exterior, or compare ourselves to others. So while I may need to work on courage and speaking up for the truth even if it may mean being disliked, some of those brave souls whom I admire so much may be trying to master the art of keeping better guard over their temper.

Chemo on Monday. Don't know how long it will be before I am back online. Will post as soon as I can, as I know there is nothing more frustrating than intermittent postings. What excuse will I use once chemo is over? I guess I'll have to figure that one out later.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Faith,

You are such a special person! I'm glad I came to "meet" you through my own illness and these blogs. You are questioning and trying to understand the same things I am. But I love the combination of your articulateness, your insight and your faith. I could learn from you. And hopefully I will!

Anonymous said...

Faith,

I've been living in a hole (filled with my husband and two kids), and had no idea that you were diagnosed with cancer! I've been reading your blog and I am blown away...you are amazing!

Prayers for you on Monday and for the rest of your "adventure".

Annie Richnavsky

Anonymous said...

Best of luck w/today's chemo. I am praying for you today and does the chemo keep going all this week?
Love and prayers,
Nellie

Anonymous said...

I already got the scoop on your chemo session from my inside sources.

As C was explaining to me all the medical jargon that goes on in a chemo session, I got right to the point when I asked her..

"Well, so, did she cry?"

Now I know.

Rest up, sweet one. Rest up.

Anonymous said...

Your bloggers are getting pretty religious lately. I can't keep up! Did you hear the one about the 2 red-necks at a football game? Ha Ha

Anonymous said...

Swimming in a dress sure would feel funny! At least they could have made them look retro- like the 1880's, scratchy wool and all. Or you could just go swimming in shorts and a t-shirt like they do in Belize (but wear a dark t-shirt.) -Trinka