Opinion 161: Gregory's Episcopal Advice

"Now of the lion one need have no fear, the leopard is a gentle creature, and even the snake you are terrified by is likely to turn in flight; but there is one thing you must be aware of, I assure you: bad bishops."

From his rather vitriolic de se ipso et de episcopis ("concerning himself and the bishops")

Opinion 160: The Pope in Mexico

Opinion 159

Opinion 158

What I like about the McDonald's next to campus is that they have a McDonald's flag and an American flag on their flagpole.

Opinion 157: Overheard at work

Girl One: Yeah, he was so nice. We used to call him "Jesus".
Girl Two: Jesus?
Girl Three: Yeah, he was like so nice and kind. He had, like, all of Jesus' good qualities but none of his bad.

Opinion 156: A noble question, indeed

Opinion 155

After the Akathist last night, Fr. Marc brought up the curiosity that we Christians worship a king born without a male seed. A kingship in the ancient near east without the proper paternity, without the right nobility of blood, was really no kingship at all. Jesus is in this way a new sort of king, really a type of anti-king. His is a kingship that culminates in defeat, moreover - not a good prospect in kingliness. As Fr. Marc likes to say, if your king's throne is death on a cross, he is not the sort of king who is going to protect you and your village.

Opinion 154: the Presidency

The more I observe Barack Obama, the more I am convinced of an all-encompassing lazy and arrogant middle-of-the-road bourgeoisie hey-I want to govern like Bill Clinton temperament. Ah, but the alternatives, the alternatives!

What is ironic is that Barack Obama is undoubtedly the most corporate candidate around. Yet taking a glance at his pasty-white and creepily neurotic would-be contenders leads one to think that there are things worse than corporate hacks.

I think I will vote for Pope Gregory the Great.

Opinion 153

At times Lent is the brightest, most pure and warming place a man can find himself in. Other times it is merely some cold and abstract notion which less busy people seem to be doing in a church building far away. What really happens to a life when it adds a few more prayers at home, travels to church a few more times, and gives just a little bit of money to the poor? I don't have any idea, really. Though these ideas do appeal to me, at least intellectually. I think that my philosophy of Lent-at least for this particular season- is simply: do what you're told.

Opinion 152

I had to sad occasion of visiting an Office Max this morning. It felt like a funeral parlor. I think all office supply stores are becoming relics of a previous age. Never have I been so often asked "Can I help you find something?" by so many in such a short period of time.

Opinion 151

"What I'm now going to relate is the history of the next two centuries," writes Nietzsche in the opening of his posthumously arranged Will to Power. Well, no one ever accused him of modesty.