Read, Re-read, Love, Annotate

 ...the very cheapness of literature is making even wise people forget that if a book is worth reading, it is worth buying. No book is worth anything which is not worth much; nor is it serviceable until is has been read, and re-read, and loved, and loved again; and marked, so that you can refer to the passages you want in it, as a soldier can seize the weapon he needs in an armory, or a housewife bring the spice she needs from her store.

- from "Of Kings' Treasuries", by John Ruskin

The Kings' Treasuries would be the good books that are being neglected, as the end of the age of reading seems to be upon us. John Ruskin was lamenting that in England in 1865, just think of how much more true that lament would be today. Ruskin laments how the sentences of good books worth buying and reading are not intelligible to them, the general public, are unable to "understand any thoughtful writing - so incapable of thought has it become in its insanity of avarice."

If Ruskin saw this state of the public in his time, and we see it as well so abundantly in our time, has the human condition changed or is it this perpetual, never-ending strand of the human situation - that ideas which penetrate into the deeper questions are so unappealing to the general public they cast it away. If that is the case, the result is the focus of the majority of society abhor reading and claim they cannot understand the good, thoughtful, or classic books, nor do they see purpose in them. It is a philistine mentality of the mundane, an attitude repelled by anything that challenges their very comfortable place built around them. He goes on to explain these types are usually the ones who will spend huge sums to pursue some pleasure they follow, and call those who buy books to build a personal library "mad, a bibliomaniac." 

Ruskin points out how we as a society talk about the need we have to nourish our bodies, such as with good food, but we neglect the essential part of life - food for the mind. Ruskin calls it a "provision for life, and for the best part of us," and I of course agree with that. Yet he ponders how long someone will consider buying a somewhat expensive book, before they pay the sum for it, comparing that to a fat fish they don't hesitate to buy that is much more expensive when compared to a small fish (for the food comparison, how often do we eat out, spending a large sum on restaurants, drinks, or food delivery without hesitation).

To buy books is better than loaning from a library, Ruskin argues. In order to read, re-read, and annotate, and then reference later. It's like having at the ready the good words and ideas to expand, defend, reply, reflect on (that well equipped armory). Food for the mind always available.

I am afraid in today's modern book market, so much out there is not well written and lacking a life-giving message (or now is AI written), that it is necessary to be scrupulous to find the well-written ones that are worth the time. This is likely an unpopular opinion, but think about it. Some of the books that win awards today are painful to read - with half-written sentences, stilted dialogue, and poor storytelling (politically driven, no character development, totally predictable, or just ramble). It's good to be creative and do things in a different way, that's not to be diminished. But even novels that are purely fun can be well written. When we praise writing that lacks skill and deep thoughtful processes of storytelling, we drive the culture further along that road of diminished talent, expectations drop and the 'top' books leave much to be admired.

Good things take time, effort, and are worth the work. To sum up Ruskin's thoughts, he would say that books, science, art, and architecture should be thoughtful and time consuming, not pushed out ASAP to get the highest profit. Virtues go out the window when all you care about is the profit or fame - the whole meaning of the work shifts - from, outward looking to inward looking, selfish to scorn all other past work whose efforts you forget and never feel thankful for. Yet, paradoxically, you never could be where you are (we all are) without those who came before us. And how can you produce good going forward when you cannot see, understand, or appreciate that which came before you?

A Visit to St. Louis

 

Last month I had the opportunity to go to St. Louis for my work summer celebration conference. I get to go every year to connect with those who are located there at the corporate location (and those who also fly in from their locations across the country) and participate in various sessions, a banquet dinner + awards, and a service project. We volunteered in a neighborhood that was hit hard by a tornado last year, and still had a great deal of recovery going on. We packed cleaning supplies boxes, served food for the neighbors to come, prepped food for them to take home, and repaired a church entry ramp. This year is my company's 20th anniversary, so we stayed at a nice historic hotel on the corner of Forest Park. Somehow I was given a suite so I had this huge living room/dining area with an ornate arch ceiling. I joked with people that if anyone knew royalty or dignitaries I could host them in my suite. I was so busy though, I didn't really spend much time in the room. 

This location was only .50 miles from the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis so I had the chance to walk down one morning for 7 am daily mass. That was such a beautiful experience. The morning was dim and quiet as I walked down the sidewalk flanked with residential condos/apartments on either side of the road. I noticed a few young physicians leaving their homes to walk over to the nearby hospital to start their shift. The sun was rising quietly behind the dome of the Basilica. The Basilica is known for the something like 40 million mosaic tiles, artwork, and grand architectural design. It is certainly very grand. I was so thankful to be able to see it while I was staying close by. After the early mass, I headed back to the hotel for the breakfast and events to follow. 

I call this all an opportunity as I see it as a blessing to be able to go. To connect with people in person is such an important part of being human and it adds a special closeness in the work world where we can so easily get stuck in our own small bubble. I get to see another city that has a lot of history - over the years I have been able to experience different areas and historical places. A lot has happened in that city and it has beautiful bones to it's architecture downtown and surrounding. I think that's what I noticed most on this trip - with the historic hotel we stayed in, the Cathedral Basilica, and a quick drive into part of downtown, I noticed the architecture more than ever before, and the beauty of it. So much from the end of the 19th and early 20th century when buildings were made with ornate details and care. It is something we can continue to do today if we choose - to build our lives, relationships, and buildings with care and detail. 

To Make the Music Better

 

Yet take Thy way, for sure Thy way is best:
Stretch or contract me, Thy poor debtor:
This is but tuning of my breast,
To make the music better.

-George Herbert

The lovely English priest-poet, George Herbert is taking us into insights for our spiritual desolation, as something might be overshadowing, challenging, or suffering within. If we are so able to resist the grip and despair that might rise, we, as Herbert so beautifully places it, are made into finer music. We are going through tuning so we can make the better music through our lives. 

The journey into and through a challenging time doesn't mean we are a failure - it means we are faithful followers and God is calling us to endure and resist the darkness that might try to overshadow us, or the temptation that pulls us away from Him. The more we resist, the more we are able to resist, and we grow in our spiritual maturity.

 It's a beautifully lyrical idea of being out of tune; needing to be tuned by God, set back on the path called straight. It's like Dante encountering when he left the path to one that was crooked. As we all get out of tune by straying away from the fine tuner, God. Sometimes we don't realize we are out of tune. Sometimes we do. The more wisdom and discernment we build, the more we are able to see when we have gotten out of tune and need to be restored - return to the heart as Saint Augustine said, to the Lord who loves us. Turn back, tune back.

If we ponder deep down, we will see how God's way is the best, we often see that played out, and yet we still try to control everything to our own selfish wills. In fact, we are poor debtors, as Herbert wrote, fully in debt to God, and we owe Him everything, for we would not have all the blessings without His grace upon us. That may sound strange to a modern post-Christian mindset. But everything we have is from God, all blessing a gift, has come down from the Father of lights - not because we deserve it, but because he loves us and created us in His image. 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1.17)

When we turn our thanks to the proper place, we begin to be tuned to play a more beautiful music for the world to hear, to draw others closer to God and their meaningful purpose.