" A Good Man is Hard to Find ". . . ..Flannery O'Connor

Thank you, P., for this great commentary prompted by my mangled usage of the title of Ms Fannery O'Connor's book. . .and the continuing comments related to some of the discussion last week about the 10 Commandments and God's always "second chance". This makes good read, good reflection on, and putting it on and wearing like "a coat of many colors". . . .like Jacob made for his son Joseph, "the dreamer, long before Moses came on the scene from the basket. . ."

As I think about it, God made all of us gays a coat of many colors which we are to wear proudly. . . .."because my father made it for me. . .. "

Anonymous said...

Flannery was a she. Writer of short stories and novels from a "true Catholic" perspective, not the more simplistic accounts many of us were given or appropriated. We were only kids when we tried to understand all this stuff. One of her greatest works was entitled, A GOOD MAN IS HARD TO FIND. She wrote about experiencing grace in the most horrific places in life and truly experiencing that grace in the biggest messes we find ouselves in be they of our own making or that of someone else's making. The truly Catholic understanding of God is that God is always a God of second chances. Note that it is Moses who stones the people in idolatry when comes down the mountail with the first set of tablest God has written with God's finger and later in the story, after confronting Moses on what he has done tells him to cut two more stone tablets. God intends to Write for a second time...in other words give the people a second chance. And as the story goes on...a third and fourths.... god is always a god of second chances. John uses that in his story of the woman caught in adultery. The story isn't about physical adultery. The relationship between God and humanity is seen in the scriptures as the marriage relationshio. John shows the True adulterers to be the so called religious experts who think they understand God's ways. In the end, the only one to truly understand God is the woman. Augustine wrote that in the end, misery and mercy face each other and mercy says to misery, "has no one condemed you?" she repies, "no one Sir." and he replied, "then go and live this truth". Justin, remember in the story the comdemning crowd does not move until Jesus writes on the ground for the second time. In the scriptures, only God writes twice, and it is alway s to offer another chance. That is how I was raised to have a Catholic worldview. I still hold it today as I believe you do also. Check out Flannery. I think you will find her work invaluable when you counsel people, if for no other reason than how she finds grace in the most hellish situations.

 

April 3, 2011 5:05 PM