05 March 2009

It Has Come to This

Monday morning, yes that Monday, the Monday it snowed 12 inches, after I dug out the NY Times from the foot of snow on the driveway I brought it in and saw a supreme sign of the economic hardships on newspapers: ads running the entire width, below the fold, on the front page! It has come to this.

Tuesday I went to Target to buy the new U2 cd, that's right I did not go to the neighborhood music shop. Nope, I went to Target to buy a cd (it was on sale for under $10.00). This was not a sign of the economic downturn, or the business of the season, which are both true but it was a sign of complete banality!

But yesterday evening, yes yesterday evening, even though it was a brisk 15 degrees a few hearts were warmed during the Lenten study on Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I started the time with a brief introduction to Bonhoeffer, read some from Letters and Papers from Prison, and then showed a portion of the fantastic documentary on his life, we then ended with a time of silence prayer and the reading of two psalms.

I had hoped the would like the subject but I was surprised at how interested they were. If I were fishing I would have to decrease the drag for these folk are hooked! It has come to this, that God continues to surprise!

Before ending allow me to recommend another Bonhoeffer resource: Saints and Villains by Denise Giardina. Giardina wrote a wonderful creative work on Bonhoeffer's life. She even has Bonhoeffer traveling to WV.

2 comments:

Michele said...

I didn't know Giardina had written about Bonhoeffer, thanks for the tip. I like her book Storming Heaven very much. Are you familiar with "The Cup of Wrath" by Mary Glazener about Bonhoeffer?

G. Travis Norvell said...

Michele,

Glad to pass along the Giardina title. Denise ran for governor of WV in 2000 in the newly formed Mountain Party. She did get 5% of the vote. When we were in Athens, WV I got to know her a bit through conversations and email. Great and interesting woman.

I do not know Cup of Wrath but I will check it out.