I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
I spent the morning in Bible Study with MLM and CMU. I taught on Luke 5:33-39. Abbreviated notes will be available Sunday.
MLM wanted us to contemplate an episode of the TV series House, M.D.. We often supplement our Bible Study with video clips. I lead the Biblical portion and MLM leads the visual complement. We watched the episode “Damned If You Do” from the series’ first season.
The episode features a nun, whose hands are red, swollen and cracked. By chance, she is sent to House for treatment. The religious patient considers the possibility of stigmata while the atheist doctor assumes an allergic reaction. There was much theology to consider.
My favorite quote in the episode came from the title character: “She has God inside her. It would be easier to deal with a tumor.”
On a trivial note, the cliché from which the episode takes it title is from former First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt. The full quotation is, “Do what you feel in your heart to be right—for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.”
My Valentine’s date was the beautiful and talented, WRK. I was actually a fill-in for her boyfriend, PAT, who will return from Kennesaw, GA, on Friday. Not since Joe Besser subbed for Shemp in the Three Stooges has there been such a poor substitution.
I even picked her up a dozen roses, at PAT’s request. This shows how much I love PAT as flower delivery gives me flashbacks to one of the darkest periods of my life, working for unstable florists.
I have always had my Valentine’s gifts well in advance so purchasing flowers the day of was a new experience. Seeing countless grown men scavenge for gifts and lugging around huge teddy bears was quite a sight. It is one of those situations where you definitely do not want to see anyone you know. Naturally, I ran into JMT, one of my best friend’s uncles. Even in these embarrassing circumstances, it was good to see him.
After eating quickly at Jason’s Deli, WRK and I went to see the play, “The Life of Galileo,” at the Clarence Brown Theater. I love going to the theater. I love it so much that it is one of the few events that requires formal attire without inducing vexation. We lowered the average age significantly. I really wish more young people went to the theater. I do not know why they do not.
Our seats were wonderful, fourth row center at eye level with the actors. The play was very good. It had a small cast with many of the actors assuming multiple roles, which was confusing at times. I really wish they would have altered accents with costumes, but it was still very enjoyable.
Terry Weber, who attends the church I grew up in and is in virtually every local production, was credited with five parts. I am pretty sure he played more. None of the roles were Abraham Lincoln or Jesus (the staples I associate with him), though the anachronistic insertions would have added a unique take on Galileo.
The play was very informative. Naturally, the religious aspects were of keen interest to me. It was good to see the legendary scientist placed within the historical context of the Inquisition. Thanks, Dr. Loyd Allen, for enhancing my understanding of the play.
I also never knew Galileo had a last name - Galilei. (His parents evidently were not as creative as their son.)
Galileo lived a long life, as evidenced by the length of the play. It started at 7:30 and I returned WRK to her home after 10:30! We had contemplated hearing Christabel and the Johns at Barley’s Taproom, but the lateness of the play made us call it a night.
I realize that Valentine’s Day is often depressing, especially for the lovelorn. I will share a verse that I learned years ago. If you read the “One Year Bible,” this verse actually falls into the reading for February 14:
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted/And saves those who are crushed in spirit.”- Psalm 34:18 (NASB)
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